Computers in classrooms: Let’s get back to the future

Computers replacing paper and pens. Everyone is focused, self-directed and engaged. Everyone succeeds. Really? And oh yeah, it’s actually 1987 …and we were really playing Zork (or Typing Tutor).

Technology in classrooms isn’t new. I was part of a programme at high school in the 1980s using computers called Integrated Studies. It’s questionable how much school work I did using the computer back then. And it’s probably a good question to ask of kids in classrooms throughout NZ today (a horrifying number of years later). Is technology in classrooms actually a good thing or an expensive distraction from teaching and learning?

An OECD report released this week called Students, Computers and Learning, questions whether having computers in schools leads to improved student outcomes. The “outcomes” in question are results on maths, science and reading tests. In fact, their analysis shows that the higher the usage the worse the results. I’m surprised. Horrified even, given how much we spent on a laptop at the start of this year… Most debates about computers in schools usually depict two sides to the argument: the yes they’re great so shut your fat faces, or no they’re not and I told you so let’s chuck them out the window… But let’s stop and think about this for a moment.

Back in the 80s we started using computers in schools. There was also some attempt to merge the teaching of subjects previously taught separately. In all honesty, my memory is a bit hazy, but according to some research I found the purpose was to “develop collaborative learning communities”. Alright, so I’m actually none the wiser... Apparently students participating in the programme achieved outcomes “demonstrably superior” to other students. Can’t say I remember that either… maybe because I only spent two years in the programme rather than five, and really did only use computers for Zork and Typing Tutor…

I do remember that it was huge at the time. Back then anyone who owned a Commodore 64 was hot stuff. And if you were lucky enough to know someone who had an Apple 2E you used to stand in front of the altar of cool (looking, not touching) in awe. We’d all grown up listening to Computer Games so we really felt the time was now, or then really… It took three disks to boot up while the computer made whirring, grinding and crunching noises displaying “patience is golden”. And “computer awareness” was a subject at school. Oh yes, those were the days.

Despite using computers myself in school (albeit not for learning purposes), I was initially a bit cautious of computers in classrooms. During primary school, one year we specifically asked for our son not be included in the ICT class. After that though, we’ve really been caught up in the tide sweeping us towards constant computer use. In some ways it’s concerning that computers in schools are not giving us the student success outcomes we’d hoped for. In other ways I think we’re missing the point. What did we want to achieve? How did we think that would happen? And what are some of the unexpected bonuses we’ve enjoyed along the way?

Some of the criticisms(expressed by the OECD’s education director) are that the priority should be students having “a good grasp of reading and maths” rather than simply ensuring that all students have access to technology. The other issue is the old “cut and paste” conundrum of plagiarising your way through school. Firstly, how is technology being used to teach reading and maths? If technology is being used simply to replace books, pens and paper then it will add nothing more. My son, who diligently takes his laptop to school each day, said they didn’t actually use them for maths (or science) anyway. They find instructions for their daily tasks but then use pen and paper. So maybe a bit more information on who is using computers for what exactly, would be good here.

On the reading front, there are numerous reading programmes. We’re currently using a reading programme at home – it’s absolutely brilliant. The brilliance is that it uses the technology to make it feel like we’re in the same room as the real life reading tutor (a number of strategies are used including a real, and not a computer generated, voice). Spooky possums. But very effective. It’s also a very well designed programme that is bang on in terms of developing skills associated with good reading habits rather than thinking you can simply “encourage a love of reading” – if you’re not good at it you’re not going to love, ok?! In short, if we’re not seeing improvements in reading, maths and science, then we’re using the technology wrong.   

In relation to cutting and pasting their way through school, in the first instance teachers need to set tasks and homework that encourage the creation of original work. This could sound like the “easier said than done” statement from a non-teacher, but I’m basing my judgement on research into setting assessments plus observations of my son’s teacher (she’s great). And please take the time to teach students about plagiarism. Teach them how to look up information online: how to determine what is good quality and what is not, and how to paraphrase information rather than cutting and pasting. If we don’t teach kids these skills in school we’re simply pushing the problem on to our higher education institutions.

I’m not keen on 5 year olds using iPads to practice writing. I also think there is a real disjoint between the reasonably heavy usage at primary and intermediate and, in contrast, the stark lack of usage at high school. I also think that we really need to make a move on being able to type during exams. I sat an exam myself a few years back, and being able to write by hand lasted 2 hours. Fortunately that was enough, but when you grow up typing and thinking it’s pretty hard to switch back to “old fashioned” handwriting.  

And in all honesty, I’m not keen on statements from the pro-computer use side of the debate either, such as “we’re training them to use technology that hasn’t been invented yet”. Ok… and we’re doing that how exactly?... But here is what I have personally noticed as some unexpected bonuses to using technology both in school and in the home: making movies, documentaries, action films, using special effects, creating stop-motion animations and selecting the font that conveys what is happening in your story. Computers can give kids a real creative outlet – especially those who don’t always automatically thrive under “normal” teaching conditions.

I think paper and pens work well for many tasks at school. But equally, let’s take what we know works in terms of actually teaching students, and transfer some of that knowledge and inspiration into the software our kids use to learn. And let’s get back to the future – get over what a novelty computers in classrooms are (because they’re not) and use them more often for something truly great.