Ontario students need a digital detox

Technology has taken over too many classrooms, distracting students and leaving parents in the dark about how well their kids are doing

The Ford government has ordered Ontario school boards to start printing paper report cards for all students. Finally, this is a small step in the right direction.

Because of increasing digitization, many schools have stopped providing paper copies of report cards. Instead, parents were encouraged to check an online portal to see how their children were doing. While this was pitched as a way to cut down on costs and make information more easily accessible for parents, it unfortunately cut some parents out of the information loop.

Not all parents have easy access to a computer or feel comfortable navigating online portals. By making important information about their children accessible only online, some parents didn’t receive the updates about their children’s progress. This made it difficult for them to help their children do better in school.

Giving paper copies of report cards to students sends a clear message that report cards convey important information. It also increases the likelihood that parents will read these reports. Spending a small amount of money on paper report cards is a necessary investment in this key accountability tool.

However, there is no reason to stop with just report cards. There are plenty of other areas of education that have become far too dependent on technology.

For example, it has become increasingly common to replace traditional textbooks with digital versions. Even more concerningly, some schools don’t even provide digital versions of textbooks for students, but they expect teachers to find their own resources for their students.

The problem with this approach is that it often deprives students of an important learning tool. Textbooks are typically written by subject matter experts who know how to convey complex information in a way that students can understand. By reading through a textbook and completing the practice questions provided, students give themselves a much higher chance of understanding the material and passing their courses.

In addition, research shows that students are more likely to engage in deeper thinking and analysis when reading text on paper than when reading the same text on a screen. It’s not hard to see why this is the case.

When reading things on a screen, students are confronted with considerably more distractions than when they read regular books. Laptops, tablets and phones are loaded with games and other applications that easily distract readers. Given the huge amount of time students spend on electronic devices anyway, the last thing they need is to spend even more time on these devices reading textbooks.

Thus, it would be helpful if the Ford government encouraged school boards to provide students with textbooks. One way this could happen is by reducing funding to school boards for technology purchases and increasing funding for buying textbooks. This would send a clear signal that schools should move away from excessive reliance on technology.

While there are some obvious benefits to computer access for high school students, it makes considerably less sense for younger students. Frankly, making early years classrooms (K-4) virtually technology-free would be a bold step in the right direction.

The reality is that K-4 students should spend their time learning how to read and do basic math. Giving them tablets and other electronic devices, in fact, detracts from these important goals. Imagine how much more useful it would be to invest the money that previously went to technology purchases to arrange for more literacy and numeracy support in the classroom. This could include everything from hiring more teachers and educational assistants to acquiring better curriculum materials.

Even older students would likely benefit from a digital detox. Not only can students do just fine by using pen and paper, but they will also realize that not everything worth doing needs to be completed on a computer. This is not just an important academic lesson; it’s a useful life lesson as well.

In short, Ontario students should spend more time with paper than with screens. Giving all students paper copies of their report cards is a good first step, but there are plenty of additional things that need to be done.

Hopefully, the Ford government doesn’t stop with report cards. Students need a digital detox sooner rather than later.

Michael Zwaagstra is a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.