技术更智能，人类“更愚笨”？技术如何提升和削弱人类认知及其对教育的意义

How Technology Improves andDiminishes Human Cognition andWhat This Means for Education By Dr. Dirk Van Damme, Distinguished Senior Research Fellow,with contributions from Charles Fadel, Founder & Chairman,Center for Curriculum Redesign February 2026 ©2026 Center for Curriculum Redesign, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please cite this publication as follows: Van Damme, D. (2026).Technologies Smarter, Humans “Dumber”? How TechnologicalAdvances Improve and Diminish Human Cognition and What This Means for Education.Boston, MA: Center for Curriculum Redesign. Table of Contents Abstract.......................................................................................................................5Introduction................................................................................................................. 5Technology as an epistemic change agent................................................................... 6The epistemological history of technology...................................................................8Historical synthesis.......................................................................................................... 8Patterns............................................................................................................................. 9Changes in human cognition......................................................................................... 12Benefits and losses.........................................................................................................13Recurrent themes...................................................................................................... 15Attention.......................................................................................................................... 15Cognitive offloading........................................................................................................17Tacit knowledge.............................................................................................................. 20Adaptability..................................................................................................................... 22Implications for education......................................................................................... 23Layers of cognitive competence....................................................................................23Educational answers to the historical patterns............................................................ 28Educational implications of the key cognitive challenges........................................... 30Conclusions............................................................................................................... 38Is technology making humans “dumber”? Yes and No.................................................38Balancing cognitive diminishment and enhancement................................................. 39Annex........................................................................................................................ 42Fire................................................................................................................................... 42Agriculture....................................................................................................................... 44Writing..............................................................................................................................46Construction...........................................................................................................................48Mechanical timekeeping................................................................................................ 49Perspective......................................................................................................................50Printing............................................................................................................................ 52Mechanization.................................................................................................................53Chemistry........................................................................................................................ 55Electricity......................................................................................................................... 56Transportation.................................................................................................................58Refrigeration....................................................................................................................59Media............................................................................................................................... 61 Calculators...................................................................................................................... 62Computing.......................................