The 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report has just released a call for technology only to be used in class when it supports learning outcomes, and this includes the use of smartphones.
The digital revolution holds immeasurable potential but, just as warnings have been voiced for how it should be regulated in society, similar attention must be paid to the way it is used in education.
The report shows that some technology can support some learning in some contexts, but not when it is over-used or inappropriately used. In particular, the use of smartphones can disrupt learning in classrooms. One study looking at pre-primary through to higher education in 14 countries found that it distracted students from learning. Even just having a mobile phone nearby with notifications coming through is enough to result in students losing their attention from the task at hand. One study found that it can take students up to 20 minutes to refocus on what they were learning once distracted.
Removing smartphones from schools in Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom was found to improve learning outcomes, according to a study cited in the report, especially for students that were not performing as well as their peers.
Concerns over data privacy, safety and well-being also underpin debates about the use of some technology in schools, especially by students at young ages.
There are privacy concerns raised when specific applications collect user data unnecessary for the applications to work. Currently, only 16% of countries explicitly guarantee data privacy in education by law, however. One analysis found that 89% of 163 education technology products recommended during the pandemic could survey children. Further, 39 of 42 governments providing online education during the pandemic fostered uses that risked or infringed on children’s rights.
We saw children as young as nine years old requesting smartphones, and it was evident that these children were not emotionally ready to navigate the complexities of these devices and the digital world.
Almost one in four countries introducing bans on smartphones use in schools in laws or policies from Côte d’Ivoire to Colombia, from Italy to the Netherlands.
Bans are more common in Asia. Both Bangladesh and Singapore ban smartphone use in class, but not in school. France bans smartphone use unless strictly for pedagogical purposes or to support children with disabilities.
Some have instead banned the use of specific applications from education settings because of privacy concerns. Denmark and France have both banned Google Workspace, while Germany has banned Microsoft products in some states. In the United States, some schools and universities have started banning TikTok.
The new 2023 GEM Report, entitled ‘Technology in education: A tool on whose terms?’, calls for decisions about technology in education to prioritize the needs of the learner, making sure that any uses of technology are appropriate, equitable, scalable and sustainable.
Students need to learn the risks and opportunities that come with technology and not be shielded from them entirely. But countries need to give better guidance on what technology is allowed in school and what is not, and on their responsible use. Only technology that has a clear role in supporting learning should be allowed in school.
