Digitalization at School – but in a Well-Balanced Way

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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

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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 considered 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. Digital 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.

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 experimentation, 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 concepts. 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.