Part 2 cue card · Media & technology
Describe a piece of technology you find difficult to use
Describe a device or piece of software that you struggle with.
Describe a piece of technology you find difficult to use
You should say:
- what the technology is
- when you first used it
- what problems you have with it
and explain how you feel when you use it.
You have one minute to prepare. Then speak for one to two minutes.
Tips for this card
- Describe the problem specifically: menus, settings, instructions.
- A bit of humour works well with this topic.
- Mention what you've done to get better at it.
Show a sample answer (try your own first)
A piece of technology I find surprisingly difficult to use is spreadsheet software, especially the advanced functions. I first used it properly about eight months ago, when I volunteered to manage the budget for a student club at my college. At first I thought it would be simple, because it's just rows and columns. But as soon as I needed to do anything more complicated than adding numbers, I got lost. Formulas kept showing error messages, and once I accidentally sorted only one column, which scrambled all the data so that names no longer matched the amounts. It took me hours to fix it. The main problem for me is that there are so many menus and options, and the error messages don't clearly explain what went wrong. I often feel frustrated and a bit stupid, especially when my friends seem to use it effortlessly. To improve, I've been following a free online course in the evenings, and I've learned a few useful functions. I'm getting better slowly. I know I'll need these skills at university in Malaysia, particularly for group projects and research data, so I'm determined to master it rather than avoid it.
Part 3 — discussion questions
- Why do older people often find new technology difficult?
- Should technology companies make products simpler?
- Is technology making people less independent?
- What technology skills should schools teach?