In the space of education, technological devices and the tools that come with those devices are now a large part of the academic sphere.
However, before immersing oneself in technology as a learning tool, it is also important to remember that, at times, too much tech can hinder studies.
Deputy Chief Information Officer for Academic Technology at the University of Mississippi Brian Hopkins reminds students that technology, while useful, can also be a distraction at times.
“The most important thing that you can remember to do with your phone when you are studying, when you’re writing a paper or when you are doing that kind of sustained work is (to) turn it off so that you can focus on what it is you’re doing,” Hopkins said.
Before using new apps or softwares on personal devices, students are cautioned to be mindful of instructors and their policies regarding technological tools. Depending on the app or software, instructors could consider those tools to fall under academic dishonesty.
“You’re gonna want to make sure that you engage the instructor and ask them if it’s okay that you use that, because you don’t want to find that after the fact that that instructor considers that to be cheating,” said Hopkins.
Technological apps or software that are used in pursuit of academic dishonesty or plagiarism can also be detected if used on the university’s Blackboard service.
“We do have technology tools in Blackboard that are designed to detect plagiarism and dishonesty,” Hopkins said “They have been updated, and they absolutely will detect documents that have been generated by GPT and other language models.”
Technology’s applications and softwares can also still provide useful tools for students as they return to campus. Hopkins shares three digital tools that are available to students.
One of Hopkins’ first suggestions is a crucial one: Download the Microsoft Authenticator app. Students must have the app to access Blackboard, so Hopkins advises students to bring their handheld devices to class.
Hopkins suggested that students download the Rave Guardian app on their mobile devices as a helpful tool for campus safety. When downloaded, students are able to receive important information and notifications regarding the Oxford campus.
“If there’s a tornado watch or tornado warning, (a) big fire in a building or something like that, then then you’ll get those notifications,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins’ final point is one that many students often do not realize: All university students receive free access to Microsoft Office products.
“There are instructions on the Help Desk website for how you log into Microsoft Office, and you can not only use the online versions of Word and Excel and whatnot, but you can actually download them and install them on your devices including your computer, your tablet (or) phone.” Hopkins said.
