Thai Experts Worry Computer Tablets Will Do More Harm Than Good

[webfact]

Experts worry tablets will do more harm than good

KAMOLTHIP BAI-NGERN,

PIYANART SRIVALO

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Many academics have voiced concern about the government's plan to get Pathom 1 students reliant on tablet computers. They were speaking at a seminar, titled "Will handing out 900,000 tablets reform Thailand's education?" held recently by the Thai Journalists Association.

"If children use the tablets all the time, they will develop bad eyesight and abnormal brain development," Assoc Prof Nittaya Kotchabhakdi, a paediatrician at the Mahidol University's Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, said.

Nittaya said children between six and eight - the average age of Pathom 1 students - found it easier to learn from real situations rather than virtual stuff.

"They should be encouraged to interact with one another or they will grow up having problems with communication. Also, with tablets, they will become less active and get fat and lose out on height," she pointed out, adding that youngsters should instead be encouraged to read books and play.

Ratwinit School deputy director Waraporn Patangjaijing said Pathom 1 and Pathom 4 students at her school were participating in a tablet-use-for-learning study conducted by the Srinakharinwirot University (SWU).

"I have seen the content, and do not think it inappropriate for primary school students," she said.

She said SWU lecturers spent an hour every day teaching one of five subjects to the students. The project, under which the participants' eyesight was also measured, will be concluded next month.

At the seminar, Dr Worakorn Kamsingnok - deputy secretary to the education minister - said the government had gone ahead with the One Tablet Per Child policy so as to boost children's learning process in preparation for the establishment of the Asean Economic Community in 2015. The government will implement the plan by handing out tablet PCs to Pathom 1 students first.

An informed source revealed that the Education Ministry would call on the Cabinet to approve the budget today and provide guidelines on the implementation of the One Tablet Per Child policy. The source added that the ministry would seek more funds for the project because the Bt1.97 billion initially earmarked would not be adequate.

-- The Nation 2012-02-22

[Reasonableman]

Personal experience so far shows they are used by students mainly for playing games and chatting with friends on Facebook. If you want your kids to do anything at all, such as help with chores, get some exercise, or do their homework, they are very reluctant to do so. I am genuinely concerned therefore that this is not only a waste of taxpayer money, but will cause behavioral and lifestyle problems for growing adults further down the line. If this has already been thought through by the boffins, I'm keen to know, to assuage these concerns.

[welcometothailand]

Anyway jokes aside looking at Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet A1 what cost around $400 but on there website are now down to $249 http://www.lenovo.co...blet/ideapad/a1 They would have been better going with a laptop spec wise not that good if you ask me .. Ram 512MB and 16GB hard drive ..

Edited February 22, 2012 by welcometothailand

[Ulysses G.]

I concur. Learn the basics first.

[welcometothailand]

I concur. Learn the basics first.

Very true ...

[sirchai]

"If children use the tablets all the time, they will develop bad eyesight and abnormal brain development.

Well said. What about a projector in each classroom with a simple PC? Easy to use for each subject and really an asset at Thai schools.

But we all know where the stupidity came from, don't we?

[xminator]

"If children use the tablets all the time, they will develop bad eyesight and abnormal brain development.

Well said. What about a projector in each classroom with a simple PC? Easy to use for each subject and really an asset at Thai schools.

But we all know where the stupidity came from, don't we?

<deleted>, tablet, book. Bad eyesight and abnormal brain development? Just dont do the monkey thing or your brain might melt!

[thanchart]

While I fully support the usage of Educational Courseware on tablets, I do not think it is a good idea at Pthaom 1 (even higher grades) to simply pass the tablets to the kids without supervision.What would be better is the way it was done durng the pilot testing done (where I was part of) in another ASEAN country.

In that pilot, the tablets stayed in the school, and handed out in the classroom during the periods dedicated to e-Learning. The kids were using the tablets under the guidance of the teacher, and Internet connection was not even in use. WiFi connection was used to intereact with the Server in the school to upload results (courseware was stored locally to reduce traffic)

It was observed during the oukits that the kdis love this period of learning so much that teachers start to use this periid as a incenttive for the kids to behave bettter and work harder. Bad behabviour led to less time and god led to more time ion the tablets. The results spoke for itself - a 30% increase in the classes with lowest grades (versus a test group w/o the usage of the tablets). Kidx intrbviewed on TV said they love the periods as it was like playing computer games and tehy learnt and remember bettrer and can corrrect themselves till they get it rigght - sort if a leveling meachnism that give the slower kids an equ;l caacne to learn if they are willing to put in the effort.

[CelticBhoy]

The poorer the kid the more likely the parents will hock the bloody thing anyway! Won't be a problem then, will it?

[OzMick]

Temporary problem only - they'll all be knackered, sold or lost within 6 months.

[Reasonableman]

Temporary problem only - they'll all be knackered, sold or lost within 6 months.

So we revisit "waste of taxpayer money". Is everyone comfortable with the huge numbers being ordered, and their suddenly escalating per-unit costs?

[noitom]

Look at these stories - as if nothing else was happening in the world.

• Thailand's Constitution Court To Rule On Legality Of Two Executive Decrees
  
• Abhisit Fears Renewed Political Turmoil During Mid-Year
  
• Chalerm: Isaan Set To Become Drug-Free Region
  
• State Schemes Agree To Median Price: Thailand
  
• Thai Workers Lose Bt755m To Bogus Job Offers
  
• Thai Experts Worry Computer Tablets Will Do More Harm Than Good
  
• Move To Block 'Tea Money' For Elite Schools In Thailand
  
• Give All Thai Women An Equal Chance To Access Fund Cash
  
• Each To His Own, And No Changing Course: Thai Opinion
  
• Phu Kradung's 3.8km Cable-Car Route Settled
  

[maeab]

Thai people were promised i pads but will get cheep copy android systems that are worth 3000 baht each, With poor resolution, hurting the kids eye sight.....

[animatic]

My daughter uses my iPad to look up stuff for school.

[Gone]

Complete waste of time and money. Someone needs to open a new pawn shop now called "Tablet Pawn" and should be full by the first 3 days after these are distributed.

[Reasonableman]

My daughter uses my iPad to look up stuff for school.

A capable netbook that could run MS Office would have been far more useful, IMHO. Kids need to print, transfer files to flash drives, store and save files, too. Some of their computer-related school activities are active, not passive. They have to create something new, then share it somehow. I have an iPad, and it is fantastic, but it does have several major limitations. There are ways around them, but they usually cost more money. How long any of these things would last, given the daily rough and tumble, forgetting where the thing was left last time (one kid is now up to mobile phone #5, and the other #3), loss, theft, etc., who can predict? I also assume that if it is broken/unusable, that parents will have to foot the bill for replacements (?).

[whybother]

I needed a laugh this morning and that's to the Thai news, i've had it

"Also, with tablets, they will become less active and get fat and lose out on height"

I'm glad to have finally found out that genetics have nothing to do with height. BTW, from the security guards at my building sitting around on their duffs all day, eating and drinking beer, yet they're not fat.

But the security guards aren't using tablets.

[Skywalker69]

The promise to hand out tablets was not for improvement of the kids education. It was one of many steps by PTP to secure the election went their way.

[AZBill]

It takes "experts" too see this? To the contrary, it takes a moron not too!

[smedly]

Personal experience so far shows they are used by students mainly for playing games and chatting with friends on Facebook. If you want your kids to do anything at all, such as help with chores, get some exercise, or do their homework, they are very reluctant to do so. I am genuinely concerned therefore that this is not only a waste of taxpayer money, but will cause behavioral and lifestyle problems for growing adults further down the line. If this has already been thought through by the boffins, I'm keen to know, to assuage these concerns.

not to mention that the already challenged teachers will have to manage a whole new set of teaching styles, I have always said this was a vote catcher only and has little value if any in the school system and as already stated will very possibly do harm

[sparebox2]

Same argument when UK school abolish LOG BOOK and introduce CALCULATOR.

Move on, will ya.

[Sibbo]

While I fully support the usage of Educational Courseware on tablets, I do not think it is a good idea at Pthaom 1 (even higher grades) to simply pass the tablets to the kids without supervision.What would be better is the way it was done durng the pilot testing done (where I was part of) in another ASEAN country.

In that pilot, the tablets stayed in the school, and handed out in the classroom during the periods dedicated to e-Learning. The kids were using the tablets under the guidance of the teacher, and Internet connection was not even in use. WiFi connection was used to intereact with the Server in the school to upload results (courseware was stored locally to reduce traffic)

It was observed during the oukits that the kdis love this period of learning so much that teachers start to use this periid as a incenttive for the kids to behave bettter and work harder. Bad behabviour led to less time and god led to more time ion the tablets. The results spoke for itself - a 30% increase in the classes with lowest grades (versus a test group w/o the usage of the tablets). Kidx intrbviewed on TV said they love the periods as it was like playing computer games and tehy learnt and remember bettrer and can corrrect themselves till they get it rigght - sort if a leveling meachnism that give the slower kids an equ;l caacne to learn if they are willing to put in the effort.

I think you need one of the Tablets with a spelling programme.

[smedly]

Same argument when UK school abolish LOG BOOK and introduce CALCULATOR.

Move on, will ya.

very very different, a calculater was fit for purpose i.e. mathematics

A tablet computer is fit for what ??????? as already mentioned facebook youtube and playing games - hardly an educational tool or aid unless as mentioned above it has software and a particular type of teaching and class designed around it - do you really think in this country that is going to happen with an already challenged education system, my PDA, calls sms photos email GPS calculater music games internet - it still wouldn't fit in the classroom to aid teaching unless those abilities were removed and replaced with some sort of teaching package and even then it would be very limited

Edited February 22, 2012 by smedly

[Reasonableman]

I needed a laugh this morning and that's to the Thai news, i've had it

"Also, with tablets, they will become less active and get fat and lose out on height"

I'm glad to have finally found out that genetics have nothing to do with height. BTW, from the security guards at my building sitting around on their duffs all day, eating and drinking beer, yet they're not fat.

But the security guards aren't using tablets.

Not computer tablets anyway... but they're definitely on something...

[Reasonableman]

Same argument when UK school abolish LOG BOOK and introduce CALCULATOR.

Move on, will ya.

Well, that settles that then. The voice of authority and commonsense. Doesn't seem to have done much education-wise for you, if that is a sample of the resultant school output. "UK schools abolished log tables [books] and introduced calculators...". Is that what you want to say?

[MEL1]

While I fully support the usage of Educational Courseware on tablets, I do not think it is a good idea at Pthaom 1 (even higher grades) to simply pass the tablets to the kids without supervision.What would be better is the way it was done durng the pilot testing done (where I was part of) in another ASEAN country.

In that pilot, the tablets stayed in the school, and handed out in the classroom during the periods dedicated to e-Learning. The kids were using the tablets under the guidance of the teacher, and Internet connection was not even in use. WiFi connection was used to intereact with the Server in the school to upload results (courseware was stored locally to reduce traffic)

It was observed during the oukits that the kdis love this period of learning so much that teachers start to use this periid as a incenttive for the kids to behave bettter and work harder. Bad behabviour led to less time and god led to more time ion the tablets. The results spoke for itself - a 30% increase in the classes with lowest grades (versus a test group w/o the usage of the tablets). Kidx intrbviewed on TV said they love the periods as it was like playing computer games and tehy learnt and remember bettrer and can corrrect themselves till they get it rigght - sort if a leveling meachnism that give the slower kids an equ;l caacne to learn if they are willing to put in the effort.

I hope you didn't teach proofreading!

-mel.

Edit: Oooops! Subbo bet ma two it. My snicere apolgoies!

Edited February 22, 2012 by MEL1

[thaiIand]

thais love calculators, they cant count. would of been a better idea to provide TI-82 calculators. With those calculator the only way for kids to play is to finally use their little thai brains and program their own games. Would be good for them to create something.

[saanya]

Yingluck keeps making secret visits to Udon Thani almost weekly. Only one or two have been publicized.

[tragickingdom]

Thai academics are no experts and should not be quoted as such. For every so called expert against there are three in favor of tablets. Academics belong to the happy few and the royalist clique. They have no interest in making the general public smarter They get very scared by the idea that the new generation is not only smarter than the rich boys and girls but also get the chance to develop their skills.

[Insight]

"If children use the tablets all the time, they will develop bad eyesight and abnormal brain development," Assoc Prof Nittaya Kotchabhakdi, a paediatrician at the Mahidol University's Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, said.

For me, the jury is still out on this tablet scheme. Tablets in general are great little "read only" devices - great for reading on, not so much for the lengthy online interaction some have cited as a concern. Yes, they can also be used for games, but would rather wait and see how they end up being used rather than judge now.

However, the comment above by the so called "Professor" is downright farcical. What on earth does he mean by "abnormal brain development"? The opposition to these projects seems more clueless than the people in charge of implementing it.

I know PT are likely to make a monumental cock-up of this (while no doubt shaving off nice little earners in the process) as per usual, and there's still the huge issue of what software and educational material is going to be installed on the things. But - in principle - I think there should be no age or class restrictions on technology at all.

Search YouTube for videos of kids using iPads. Impressive stuff.