Time to reconsider device use in schools?

Opinion: New Zealand has been enthusiastic in the adoption of digital tools in the classroom, but new research shows frequent device use can harm children’s education.

As children return to NZ schools, a new paper researching the learning and health impacts of screen time in the classroom has been published in the Waikato Journal of Education.

Young New Zealanders have some of the highest rates of screen use in the world, both at home and in the classroom.

In 2018, PISA data found that young people in New Zealand spent on average, six hours per day using screens. Screen use rates have increased since this time.

Globally, using devices frequently to learn is uncommon, even in the wealthiest countries.

While more studies are needed, harms to the health and well-being of children over 5 years old associated with screen time have been found to occur between two and six hours of use per day.

There’s no question that some digital technologies in schools can support learning, where their use is age-appropriate.

Devices can give students access to resources and make collaborating easier outside the classroom, while helping teachers with their own learning and teaching.

Developing digital skills will also be important for young people to thrive in a fast-changing world.

However, how devices are used, who uses them, and how often they are used also affects learning outcomes.

Studies comparing standardised assessments have found that while moderate use of devices and computers in the classroom are linked to some academic improvements, frequent use is associated with reduced learning outcomes.

Recent analysis of PISA data found that ‘very intensive’ device use in classrooms is not just linked to academic decline, it causes it.

There are a few important points here – this analysis involved data from countries with advanced policies for use of digital technologies in the classroom, such as Finland and Estonia.

The second point, which will possibly surprise many New Zealanders, is what was considered ‘very intensive’ use. This was students who used devices to learn from one to two times per week to almost every day – a rate that may sound low, not only to many high school students, but also to some primary.

Screens can be used in different ways in schools for online learning activities and for different subjects.

However, the only digital activity that was linked to improvements in reading included ‘browsing the internet for schoolwork’.

All other activities, including doing homework online, using learning apps, educational games, and electronic textbooks, were linked to declines in learning outcomes.

This was consistent across all subjects assessed, including English, science and maths.

Checking email was the only online activity that had no impact on learning.

Especially in primary school-aged students, frequent device use had a clear negative relationship with learning outcomes.

Concerningly, in schools with good internet access, where teachers have resources to learn how to use digital devices and are confident in using them in teaching, academic performance was lower compared to schools that did not have these resources. This is the opposite to what we may have expected.

Further, while digital fluency is a goal of the technology-learning area of the New Zealand curriculum, standardised assessments in New Zealand and Australia found that digital fluency has declined in Year 6 and 10 students, despite increased use of devices to learn.

Recent data found that focused use of devices can aid learning, with the greatest benefits occurring with up to an hour of use per day for high-school students.

However, if that digital technology becomes a distraction, it is clearly linked to poorer learning outcomes.

On average globally, 65 percent of students report being distracted ‘some of the time, frequently or always’ while using devices to learn, but more than 80 percent of New Zealand students reported being distracted by digital devices for learning.

Australian data found that Indigenous students report higher rates of digital distraction, leading to concerns for equity. Data for Māori students has not been explored yet.

So, how can students gain essential digital skills with a lower risk of harm to learning and health?

Children’s health and learning are closely linked. Poor physical health can affect learning. Educational outcomes can affect future health and well-being.

So, health-harms from frequent and extended digital technology use are relevant to both schools and families. Digital technologies are important for our young people, now and in the future. However, allowing them to access digital opportunities with lower risk will require a balance of rights to internet access, health and education.

Supporting young people in developing healthy screen behaviours will involve caregivers, educators, and policymakers.

The need for awareness of the profit-driven agenda of technology companies and lobbyists, who are often advisors to the education sector, must also be considered. This has been highlighted by the United Nations, which called for discussions on how best to balance the opportunities and risks of digital technologies in education, including age-appropriateness for introducing digital devices into the classroom.

Evidence-based, purposeful and balanced use of digital tools for learning could help students maximise the opportunities they present.

Guidance to support our students in using digital technologies safely in educational settings will be important, so they can focus on learning and having fun.