When I started my teaching career back in 2008, I was part of a group of eight teachers that shared two stationary computers. Everything from logging students’ absences, to messaging colleges was done through handwritten notes. When I taught the circulatory system to my students, I used an overhead projector to show a blurry image of the heart. Today, that can easily be visualized with the help of films, images and animations with just a click.
The rapid advancement of digitalization
Despite changes in schools occurring slowly, digitalization has progressed at a furious pace. Swedish schools have quickly adopted digital tools and working methods, which have revolutionized teaching. In 2017, the Swedish government decided to conduct national exams digitally, which strongly propelled the development of online exam assessment tools and methods. In just a few years, the market exploded and teachers gained access to digital books, interactive simulations in mathematics and physics, assessment tools, and not least online test platforms.
Screen Time – How Should We Think About It?
Simultaneously with schools being equipped with digital devices, kids and teenagers also have access to screens outside of school. Children get exposed to screens from a very young age; it’s not uncommon for two year olds to use a digital device regularly. Older children and teenagers spend much of their free time in front of a screen. In Sweden, there are now voices raising concerns about the effect of screen time on children and youth.
This debate is incredibly important; we need to clarify how this consumption actually affects young people, and perhaps most importantly, their brains. It would be strange, considering how malleable the brains of children are, if something they do for several hours a day does not affect their brain development.
However, it is important to separate the two discussions, screen time in school and at home. What we should take from the debate about screen time is the knowledge of how social media and games are designed for our brains to want more and more. They are not built for us to “reach the end” or feel finished – that’s why it’s hard to stop and there’s always a temptation to return. The role of technology in the classroom is different. Technology can instead be used to help the students to focus, get less distracted and reach their fullest potential. For instance, digital devices can be used to administer tests in a secure, controlled environment, provide immediate assessment feedback, or create personalized assessments tailored to individual student needs. These are just a few examples of how technology enhances schoolwork in a meaningful way.
The future of digitalization in schools
Digital tools have enabled us to bring the outside world into the classroom and add color and inspiration to teaching in ways that were not possible before. The digitalization of schools in Sweden and many other countries has progressed rapidly, and before we can fully see its effects, we are already facing the next major change. Namely, the introduction of AI into the educational space, which may have an even bigger impact than digitalization itself.
Those of us that develop Exam.net closely follow the current research and ongoing debates about digital tools and AI in schools. We deliver products that truly make a difference for teachers by supporting them in all aspects of the assessment process. To work effectively in a digital environment, it is essential that workflows and functions are carefully developed for both teachers and students. For example, digital exam tools can adapt to individual student needs such as supporting dyslexia or language challenges. We carefully think through each experience in our product development process. The ability to use our locked-down browser environment, not only during assessments, but whenever focus is needed, is a crucial condition for directing students to the right tasks. We focus on building high-quality products so that teachers and students can concentrate on education – even in a digital environment!
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