UOW researchers Associate Professor Tiffani Apps and Dr Karley Beckman want to see screens used effectively in schools, not banned.
Illawarra experts are calling for a shift away from the screen time debate to instead focus on implementing quality screen use in schools, with concerns that imposing blanket bans could undermine learning, digital literacy and educational equity.
University of Wollongong researchers Dr Karley Beckman and Associate Professor Tiffani Apps from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child are leading the push for a more evidence-based approach to using screens in schools.
“The conversation right now is about screen time, but what actually matters for learning isn’t how many minutes a student spends looking at a screen but what they’re doing with it, why, and with whom,” Dr Beckman said.
“A blanket time limit risks taking away one of the only places some students get to build digital skills they’ll need for the rest of their lives.”
Dr Beckman and Associate Professor Apps published a position statement developed with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation and supported by more than 85 leading Australian experts and organisations, outlining concerns around the current conversations guiding the policy development and proposing four key recommendations.
The proposed steps include providing schools with practical guidance that promotes purposeful technology use alongside non-digital learning experiences and shifting focus away from screen time to quality screen use.
“Such guidance should draw on the current evidence about learning with technologies, wellbeing, inclusion, and student development, while recognising that decisions about technology use are most effective when responsive to local contexts, student needs, educational goals and curriculum,” it states.
It calls for the establishment of rights-based governance structures and mechanisms to evaluate and regulate the quality of edtech products at a state and national level to promote the use of safe and high-quality technologies in schools and engagement in meaningful consultation with children and young people, families, educators, school leaders, education organisations and researchers.
The statement also says that strengthening the teaching of digital and media literacy and digital wellbeing across all years of schooling will help minimise distractions and risk.
“Research has repeatedly challenged the notion of the ‘digital native’, demonstrating that young people’s familiarity with technology does not automatically equip them with the skills needed to use digital tools critically, safely, ethically, and effectively,” it states.
“Students require systematic opportunities to develop the knowledge, dispositions, and capabilities needed to navigate an increasingly digital society and workforce.”
The statement comes after Australia recently recorded its lowest levels of digital literacy in 15 years which prompted the circulation of a petition calling for education ministers across the country to implement five principles into Australian schools, including:
- Primary schools must be device free
- Foundational literacy and handwriting must be restored as core educational priorities
- The default mode of high school learning must be books, handwriting, paper and human relationships
- School-endorsed edtech must be proven safe and effective
- Generative AI has no place in school learning.
The petition has been signed more than 29,000 times.
But researchers are concerned that blanket restrictions could most affect students with the least access to digital technology at home and create an equity issue.
“Restricting high-quality digital learning delays the development of essential digital skills and capabilities,” Dr Beckman said.
“Rather than addressing concerns about technology use, it postpones them and reduces opportunities to learn how to use technology safely and productively.”
They would like to see the technology used effectively.
“Nobody’s arguing that kids should be on devices all day, every day,” Associate Professor Apps said.
“The real questions are about the quality of education technologies we use in our schools, how we teach students to use these tools well and how we support teachers to meet students’ learning needs, interests and motivations.”
