The Ability to Raise Retention Rates in STEM Majors through Technology

Many people who start off college a in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) majors tend to change their major before they graduate. With the current demand for students graduating in STEM majors, the United States has made several attempts to increase retention rates throughout these fields. Although attempts have been made, to produce better results, the government need to find out from students directly why they tend to switch out of STEM majors. The main cause for the switch is the rigor and dullness of the the classes within these majors. Traditional methods of teaching is used throughout major of the classes in these fields; which is where the problem lies. We live in a world that is constants advancing in the technology industry. Many people are becoming overwhelmed with all the new electronic gadgets and their attention span towards anything non-electric is becoming shorter. This is where the problem lies, many students cannot just sit, stare at chalkboards, and read books all day. With all the gadgets developed in todays age, why cant we incorporate them into classroom learning? Other majors, like journalism, are catching on. Some journalism classes include an online portion and in others you use ipads, ipods, and/or other technological devices to complete your assignments and learn the required material. STEM majors should take advantage of the constantly developing technology and use it in their favor. Most would agree that using an interactive application on the ipad to learn about fluid dynamics is a lot more interesting than reading about it from a textbook. On the other hand, some would argue that technology would pose a threat to learning overall, that it would only be a distraction to students in the classroom. The question remains, would the infusion of technology in STEM majors increase retention rates?

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