Digital media have been playing an increasingly important role in schools since the corona pandemic. According to the current PISA survey, digital media is used slightly less often in Austria than in other OECD and EU countries. A third of students say that digital technologies are used in more than half of their German, math and science lessons. According to the research, moderate use brings benefits, but distraction is a major problem.
According to the research, on average three-quarters of students are confident in using digital devices, school platforms and video communication programs. The corona pandemic has also shown that students have difficulty motivating themselves.
Less is more when it comes to digital media
Moderate use of digital media can have a positive effect on performance: students who used digital devices in class for up to an hour a day scored 14 points better in the PISA survey than their peers who did not use digital media in class at all . of the socio-economic background of the young people (parents’ education and occupation, material wealth). This difference in points corresponds to approximately three quarters of a school year.
At the same time, according to PISA 2022, digital devices at school also have negative effects on students. 45 percent said they became nervous or restless when their mobile phone was not nearby – and according to OECD education director Andreas Schleicher, they performed worse in maths in PISA, were more dissatisfied with their lives and were less able to cope with stress, thus to the survey.
Network devices often distract students too much
65 percent of students surveyed also said they were distracted when digital devices were used in math lessons. These students performed 15 points lower than their classmates who were not distracted. According to the study, excessive use of mobile phones to pass the time is even more problematic: students who said they used their mobile phones for up to one hour a day to pass the time scored 49 points more in the PISA survey than those who said that they used their cell phones to pass the time. them for five to seven hours.
In 13 of the PISA participating countries and regions, schools responded by banning mobile phones, including Albania, Greece and Spain. According to analyses, students in these countries are less distracted – with several positive consequences. According to Schleicher, school rules about cell phone use had little effect. For OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann, these results show once again that better guidance is needed on how to use digital devices wisely in schools.
Source: Krone
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