Maybe we thought we were doing a good job, but we were doing everything wrong. Here’s the thing: The fatal acceleration began four years ago. For everyone in the school world, the pandemic is a time of forced changethey had to suffer. Distance learning has transformed learning during enforced lockdowns around the world. But what is the intention For many school administrators, a temporary stopgap turned into an opportunityhe believes that comprehensive digitalization is the future development direction.
Although now The knot has come to a head. Released by the U.S. Department of Education Latest data on reading comprehension ability of 13-year-old students: A decrease of 4 percentage points from 2020 and a decrease of 7 percentage points from 2012. For the worst students, we go back to 1971when the first national study was completed.
It’s not just Covid’s fault
Politicians and managers blame it Virus and school closures. Conservatives prefer to blame teachers unions for pushing distance learning. But both are wrong because they fail to consider the real elephant in the room: The support your children rely on to learn. digital.
It started before the outbreak Silent transition from paper to backlit screen. Dad simply accelerated a process that was already underway. Students have replaced books, notebooks and photocopies with tablets, laptops and screens. The results are there for all to see.
Groundbreaking research from neuroscientists A professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College marked a turning point in the debate. Using a network of electrodes to measure brain activity, studied 59 children aged 10 to 12 years who read text on paper and on a screen. The results are beyond doubt.
Reading on paper Produce deeper brain processes and more complex understanding than the “superficial” typical screen. The age of the participants is crucial: it is within this range that the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” occurs. Screen for subtle shifts in risk compromise.
Alert for teachers
Anyone who goes to class every day knows this. 68% of Italian teachers (and 71% of European teachers) Call for a return to paper. Not out of nostalgia, but from direct experience: 33.5% of Italian teachers cited negative consequences of using laptops and tablets About learning.
It’s not over yet, because the numbers speak for themselves: 42% of Italian teachers’ reading skills have declined38% noted reduced knowledge retention and 22% noted reduced commitment. But most importantly, 15% said they had seen Presence of screens directly linked to poorer academic performance.
technological paradox
Despite scientific evidence showing the limitations of digital tools, schools continue to invest heavily in tablets and computers. Google alone has sold $14 billion worth of Chromebooks to schools and universities since 2020. This is a huge enterprise that is driving continuous digitization.
However, not all voices are opposed to digitization. There are also scientists who have different views. as he said John GabrielMIT neuroscientist and reading and brain expert: “Educational technology has no large-scale impact on reading scores, dyslexia, equity issues”. The fact that we continue to invest in this direction is driven more by marketing than results.
A turning point for the Nordic countries
However, there are also people who don’t like it. Sweden, traditionally at the forefront of digitalization, is going backwards. Education Minister Lotta Edholm said the best conditions for developing basic skills in reading and writing are achieved in a simulated environment using traditional tools.
These are not just words: the Swedish government is allocating €44 million per year starting in 2024 to Buy paper textbooks. The decision marks a major shift in direction for one of the world’s most digitally savvy countries.
The problem is not limited to schools. When homework is digital-only, parents have no way of managing how much time their children spend in front of screens. 55% of Italian parents admit that using laptops at school complicates screen time management at home.
This is not just a practical issue. Continuous exposure to screens changes the way the brain processes information. Paper forces people to focus deeper and longer, while screens lead to distraction and multitasking, the mortal enemy of deep learning.
seek possible balance
The solution certainly doesn’t lie in eliminating technology (It’s really paradoxical for us to write it because we’re an online-only publication), but after discovering right balance. 63% of Italian teachers Want to use technology in a more balanced wayas a tool to improve teaching, rather than an end in itself. A hybrid approach where digital and analog collaborate rather than compete.
Here are the challenges for the school’s future: Rethinking investment approaches in favor of paper retaining its central role in deep learningand technology provides complementary tools. Because ultimately, as neuroscience and field experience demonstrate, Paper still beats digital. At least, in terms of actual learning.
