Digitalization at School – but in a Well-Balanced Way

Titelangaben

Baptist, Peter:
Digitalization at School – but in a Well-Balanced Way.
Hrsg.: Miller, Carsten ; Wassermann, Alfred
Bayreuth , 2025 . - 13 S. - (CMLDT publications ; 8 )

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15495/EPub_UBT_00008715

Volltext

Link zum Volltext (externe URL):

Weitere URLs

Abstract

Digitalization is necessary and important, especially at school. However, there
are now complaints that digitalization has often been exaggerated, leading
to negative effects on learners, such as poor concentration and weak writing
skills. So, is the digital school a mistake? Should we abandon digitalization and
ban laptops, tablets, and smartphones from the classroom in the future?
This question is the subject of controversial public debate. The end of the
digitalization euphoria in some Scandinavian countries is often cited as an
argument for a return to purely analog teaching and learning. However, the
cause of the decline in school performance in these countries is not con-
sidered in a differentiated manner. For education researchers at the Karolinska
Institute in Stockholm, one reason for the failure is that, during digitalization,
students have used the internet as a broad knowledge resource rather than
developing their own digital learning tools. Especially younger schoolchildren
do not yet have the cognitive abilities to acquire knowledge independently.
However, a return to purely analog schooling cannot be the solution. Digi
tal technologies permeate and shape both our personal lives and the world
of work. Schools, as places that prepare us for life, cannot ignore these
media. However, digital support does not necessarily lead to better education.
Teaching and learning can only be improved if these media are integrated into
the classroom in a well-designed way.
– 4
In geometry lessons suitable digital support can be used to promote interest
in and understanding of mathematics in the long term, starting as early as
5th grade. (Paper) worksheets contain tasks and instructions. Smartphones or
tablets with the appropriate software are suitable for discovery and experi
mentation, and the results are recorded by hand. Analog and digital “learning
worlds” are meaningfully linked with each other.
The success of digital teaching and learning in schools also depends largely on
teachers‘ competence in using digital media and the available teaching con
cepts. To ensure that this approach becomes widespread, it must be possible
to use mobile devices and software without extensive training. Students learn
how to use these tools in class, not theoretically, but in relation to subject
specific content. Modern teaching takes advantage of both analog and digital
learning environments. The key is to find the right balance.