How useful is educational technology?

Technology has had an enormous impact on education in the last ten years. There are now a huge number of online courses available, as well as ‘blended’ options, which combine face-to-face tuition with online study, and mobile devices make it possible to access course material from almost anywhere. On top of this, education is more personalized, with students having more choices and independence than ever before.

On the face of it, using technology in primary classrooms might seem like a no-brainer. After all, children these days are growing up surrounded by technology. As many parents know, an ever-increasing number of children under the age of five have experience of using a Smartphone or a tablet. In addition, many teachers report that engagement and motivation levels rise across the board when young learners use technology in the classroom.

However, some parents and educators are less enthusiastic. In their experience, the use of technology causes distraction and lack of focus and they are concerned about the long-term impact this may have on their children’s development. Research has shown that these concerns are well-founded (Cunningham, 2011). If students don’t learn how to shut out distractions and concentrate, they have a much harder time succeeding in almost every area of their lives.

It is not just parents and teachers who are worried about the amount of time that children spend looking at screens. In 2019, the WHO (World Health Organization) recommended that children under five should have an hour or less of ‘screen time’ per day.

But is it the technology itself which is the problem – or is it the way the technology is being used?

Even if schools agree to purchase interactive whiteboards or tablets for classroom use, managers often fail to recognise that teachers will need training and support before they will be able to maximize the potential of this new technology. If children are digital natives, then in many cases teachers are digital immigrants, who lack the knowledge and expertise to integrate technology into their teaching effectively. In many cases, teachers should be reassured by the fact that their learners are often far more ‘tech savvy’ than they are. Learners are usually delighted to help out when their teacher gets into technical difficulties and it often gives quieter members of the class a chance to shine.