The Impact of Digital Technologies on Children and Adolescents in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Case for the Development of Best-Practice Recommendations for Schools
Date
Authors
Cullen, J
Marsh, S
Simmonds, L
Duncan, Scott
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Waikato
Abstract
The use of digital technologies is increasing in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) schools to support future-focused learning and allow students to gain 21st century skills that can enable them to participate and thrive in a digital future. NZ students have among the highest use of digital technologies in the world, and digital devices present both opportunities and risks to educational outcomes and health/well-being. Pragmatic guidelines have been developed internationally to support the safer use of digital technologies in education settings, and a review was carried out to examine the need for such guidance in a NZ context. While studies present mixed results, emerging evidence from analysis of international and national standardised assessments indicates that the impact of digital technologies on learning outcomes is not neutral, and while some use can benefit learning, frequent use has been associated with reduced learning outcomes. Conditions and context of use seem important, including factors such as task selection, length of use, and whether device use is teacher-led or independent. Further research is needed to better understand the most effective ways to use digital technologies for learning. Additionally, emerging evidence highlights numerous negative health impacts that are associated with frequent and extended use of digital devices. Informed recommendations for the use of digital technologies in NZ schools may allow students to get the best that digital technologies can offer to learning, with lower risk.Description
Keywords
39 Education, 3904 Specialist Studies In Education, Health Disparities, Minority Health, Generic health relevance, 13 Education, Digital technology, devices, education, health, educational outcomes
Source
Waikato Journal of Education, ISSN: 1173-6135 (Print); 2382-0373 (Online), University of Waikato, 29(1), 1-19. doi: 10.15663/wje.a1095
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Rights statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Copyright (c) 2024 Julie Cullen, Dr Samantha Marsh, Ms Lorna Simmonds, Scott Duncan