Thursday, 19 September 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The fast-developing technology and its tools which include Artificial Intelligence (AI) and smartphones have indirectly impacted the success rates of competitive exams. There is a noticeable trend where students and young adults preparing for competitive exams are increasingly relying on AI and their smartphones for study purposes. The education experts based in the city, however, cautioned that excessive dependence on mobile phones and AI might not yield the best results in the competitive exams.
A student Saksham Chauhan who is currently preparing for the UPSC examination admitted that he has been using the internet for exam preparation. “Studying through the net for exam purposes costs much less than buying numerous books. The Internet as a study tool has become a much more affordable alternative,” he said, adding that he even took important notes for exams using his mobile phone and the internet.
An educator in a coaching institute Subodh Dobhal flagged the negative aspects of internet-based study while admitting its obvious advantages. “There is no gainsaying the fact that the advancement in technology in the form of AI and mobile phones has provided easy access for children to study a variety of content from a single source instead of purchasing numerous books some of which are exorbitantly priced. However, these AI aids help students in preparing for specific subjects and preparing answers for specific questions. Given the trend discernible now, I caution them against depending solely on the internet and AI for exam preparation,” he said.
Sharing his experiences over the years as an educator and senior manager at ALLEN Institute Awdesh Dixit said that technology-based examination preparation has more drawbacks than benefits. “The trend of preparing or studying through the phone or internet emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. What we observed after this is that the ability to comprehend among the students has been negatively impacted. What happens often is that while using phones for study, they tend to divert to various social media feeds and content which hinders their focus on studying,” he added.
He further said that with the advancements in AI and internet telling upon the success rate of competitive examinations, the authorities of the educational institutions and parents should ensure that the students refrain from using technology too much for exam preparation.
Further, a senior eye specialist at the Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) Dr Sushil Ojha expressed concern over the deteriorating eye health of the students who study by their phones rather than books. “Increased screen time while studying on a phone can lead to dryness in the eyes and often affects eyesight. Therefore, I, on my part, would advise the children to study through books rather than phones. If they study by phone, they should follow the 20-20-20 rule- taking a 20-second break after every 20 minutes to blink their eyes 20 times,” he said.
