Point/Counterpoint: Is Technology Relevant?

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Author: Christian Kendall

It is nearly impossible to ignore the recent problems with the state of technology on campus. The internet connectivity issues, however, only indicate a pre-existing trend of low prioritization and support of educational technology at Occidental College. In fact, 34 professors declared their dissatisfaction with technology services on campus just last year through numerous complaints and a petition for changes to the Information Technology Services (ITS). The complete dearth of a substantial computer science program, and even consistent internet access and up-to-date computers and operating software, impedes learning on campus. In a digital age where prospective employers in all fields search for – and often assume – competency with computers and software, Occidental has chosen to ignore educational technology needs, putting students at a disadvantage in the job market.

These shortcomings are highlighted in the experience of any science major. The industry standards in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, geology and economics are quickly becoming more and more computationally based. No one wastes time squinting at a mass spectra or scribbling through labor intensive integrals just to identify samples or extract usable data. Collecting and analyzing data through technology and automation allows researchers and applied scientists to examine larger scale issues or focus on increasing precision. The foundation of these revolutionary industry standards arose from the advent of computer science as an institutional discipline. Many notable science programs – such as Occidental’s engineering partners, the California Institute of Technology and the Fu Foundation School at Columbia University – not only offer extensive curricula in computer science but also require computer science credits.

Occidental has a computer science department in place, but this “department” consists of a single professor and only enough coursework for a minor. Only one to four course sections are offered in the computer science department each semester, even with the help of mathematics professors. For example, the department offers a course on the software MATLAB, but has not administered this class in over four years. The deplorable level of support for this department makes it essentially non-existent to students with schedules that do not align perfectly with the periodic smattering of course sections.

Of course, some may argue that, as a liberal arts college, Occidental could invest resources more effectively into humanities departments before focusing on educational technology. Nothing could be further from the truth. A humanities student in any field could benefit greatly from learning skills like web design or Microsoft Excel. These not only exercise quantitative and logical thinking skills, but greatly empower students to streamline data collection and analysis, perform a broad scope of research and clerical tasks and even make websites and blogs to network.

Many jobs traditionally associated with soft skills (communicational and interactive skills) now employ web and graphic design, social media and other digital platforms to advertise, communicate and organize. Just as scientists no longer print out data and scribble on it, social scientists and humanities scholars spend less time with hard copies and outmoded technology in order to focus on more pertinent tasks. Texts and articles have moved toward digitization, allowing broader access to information while pioneering new possibilities for incorporating media into many discourses and types of literature. While our computer science department struggles to exist, the role of technology continues to grow in fields far removed from the hard sciences.

Beyond these potential benefits, humanities departments have expressed dissatisfaction with the state of educational technology currently available to them. Students requiring audio visual hardware for screenings, presentations and research often find the state of technology to fall below modern standards, and faculty echoed these complaints in many departments while petitioning the administration last year. How can future researchers, workers and activists be expected to analyze media or gain public speaking skills when their alma mater refuses to address the most basic technological needs until a faculty-wide complaint arises over projectors and A/V cables?

Problems and dissatisfaction on campus extend far beyond the current internet connectivity issues. Occidental needs to engage these issues instead of waiting for a crisis (i.e. connectivity issues that result in shutting off the on-campus network during the week). The society we live in – and are preparing to work in –has developed to a point where basic tasks require technology. Wi-Fi has replaced stacks of books and paper as a requirement for research and homework. Powerful software such as Mathematica and MATLAB has usurped the calculators once adequate for typical high school or introductory-level calculus courses.

Focusing on re-lettering the sign on Berkus Hall while sitting on the five million dollar hint from respected alumni will not fix the complete absence of connectivity in dorms on campus. Maintaining the façade of a computer science department will not help anyone learn how to apply current technology to their field. Within a decade, the campus will be full of undergraduates who never knew a world without smart phones and Wi-Fi. Occidental needs to proactively invest in educational technology to prepare students for survival in this eminent future —not simply respond to issues with minimal repairs and efforts as they arise.

Christian Kendall is a senior Chemistry major. He can be reached at kendall@oxy.edu or on Twitter at @WklyOpinions.

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