In today's age of search engines, open access databases, and collaborative forums, research is quite a bit different these days than it was in my early college years. In all reality, when a professor handed out even the smallest of research projects, it typically meant several hours a day in the library, several all night study sessions, and dozens upon dozens of xerox copies or literature, photographs, and collections. Truthfully, once as a college freshman, i once parked my sleeping bag in an far corner of the library of my college and stayed there the whole night.
So, even after such a massive effort of epic proportions, the true unique and up to date content in my paper on physics would wilt when compared to my kid sisters paper on Charlie Sheen. Now with the instant access that the various search engines bestow on her, she now possess the ability to access thousands of digital arguments, collateral, photographic and literature evidence after hitting the "ENTER" button.
Within two or three clicks she can browse, download, and read dozens of previously written articles on the same topic so that she can see the benefits and errors of writing a certain way and develop her own theory of how to approach this specific report.
Not only can you tap into any virtual library while eating your lunch at the same time, but if it were a current topic, you could set a google alert and receive updates any time the specified topic is mentioned in the body of a news article.
Finally, with access to dozens and dozens of scholarly documents, you can check any of your opinions and assertions against the brightest minds on any given topic.
Citing resources is even easier as you can drag and paste into a google document. In all reality, I couldn't envy this generations informational access advantages any more than I already do, as it is truly unlimited!
As far as how digital media might have affected our approach to academia, its effects on commerce are even more profound.
For instance, if I was a young business man and needed an airport limo to provide chauffeur service for an upcoming business trip 25 years ago, I would contact my admin, who would put in a request to HR, who would contact a third party travel agency, who would contact multiple people in there business directory which was kept under lock and key.
Now days, I would simply google the term "limo service" and within a second I would get a comprehensive listing of transportation services in my city based upon user ratings.
Our approach to research has been forever changed by the digital media and the future looks even brighter with each new technology.
So, even after such a massive effort of epic proportions, the true unique and up to date content in my paper on physics would wilt when compared to my kid sisters paper on Charlie Sheen. Now with the instant access that the various search engines bestow on her, she now possess the ability to access thousands of digital arguments, collateral, photographic and literature evidence after hitting the "ENTER" button.
Within two or three clicks she can browse, download, and read dozens of previously written articles on the same topic so that she can see the benefits and errors of writing a certain way and develop her own theory of how to approach this specific report.
Not only can you tap into any virtual library while eating your lunch at the same time, but if it were a current topic, you could set a google alert and receive updates any time the specified topic is mentioned in the body of a news article.
Finally, with access to dozens and dozens of scholarly documents, you can check any of your opinions and assertions against the brightest minds on any given topic.
Citing resources is even easier as you can drag and paste into a google document. In all reality, I couldn't envy this generations informational access advantages any more than I already do, as it is truly unlimited!
As far as how digital media might have affected our approach to academia, its effects on commerce are even more profound.
For instance, if I was a young business man and needed an airport limo to provide chauffeur service for an upcoming business trip 25 years ago, I would contact my admin, who would put in a request to HR, who would contact a third party travel agency, who would contact multiple people in there business directory which was kept under lock and key.
Now days, I would simply google the term "limo service" and within a second I would get a comprehensive listing of transportation services in my city based upon user ratings.
Our approach to research has been forever changed by the digital media and the future looks even brighter with each new technology.
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