Chronicle Summer 2024

23 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Multitasking is really task-switching as the human brain can’t multitask on two tasks using the same channel (visual or auditory). Some devices really encourage this behaviour and diminish attention. Teddies employs software to help pupils monotask on an application. As part of a UCL Masters course, Charles conducted some research on multitasking and strategies Teddies pupils use to help them focus. A highly successful strategy was Lower Sixth pupils filming themselves studying using the time-lapse features of their smartphones because it enabled them to track their progress while also incapacitating their phone. Sometimes pupils need a computer for their studies but there are many lessons when teachers choose not to use devices at all in the classroom. We do, however, recognise that devices can have benefits beyond the classroom in terms of sharing resources, communicating with pupils, setting prep, submitting prep, recording marks and giving feedback via Teams. The issue of screen time for young people is rightly the focus of much media and parental attention and we discuss it often in school. Winkleman is right to be a sceptic when it comes to EdTech – the false starts made elsewhere serve as a salient lesson whenever one is tempted to jump onto an EdTech bandwagon! Likewise, the flood of evidence that links poor adolescent mental health to unfettered access to the world of social media is something that advocates of online learning must confront. The problems are clear but, at the same time, we must not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

everything-and-read initiative, which has succeeded in promoting reading for pleasure from paper books. Charles Davies, Jubilee HM, conducted research which found that ‘Time to Read’ led to pupils spending more time, on average, reading for pleasure both in term time and in the holidays, though it still lags behind social media scrolling. Search engines such as Google Scholar have, however, made research more straightforward, so pupils are taught by the Library how to access these resources, check their reliability and cite them appropriately. At St Edward’s we still issue a paper textbook as a resource for pupils in most exam courses. There is good evidence that paper textbook use in the Far East is correlated with high performing education systems. Studies have shown that handwritten notes lead to better understanding and retention of knowledge than typed notes since there is no attempt to transcribe information verbatim. Most pupils in the school, without access arrangements, handwrite their academic work. The Telegraph article mentions how Sweden reversed their decision to make devices compulsory in pre-schools in 2023. Such U-turns have precedent; Los Angeles cancelled a $1.3 billion contract for 650,000 Apple iPads and internet network capabilities in 2015 after less than two years. Pupils bypassed safety features, internet was patchy, devices broke. Teddies’ pupils are issued with

Khanh Luong during Time to Read

a Microsoft Surface. We have chosen these devices as they are age appropriate, updates can be centrally managed, it is easier to type long coursework assignments, security levels can be set, and safeguarding prioritised through filtering and monitoring software, Smoothwall.

At St Edward’s, we think it is possible to protect young minds from some of the dangers of the online world whilst ensuring we harness the power of technology to enhance our teaching and prepare our pupils for the world that awaits them when they leave Teddies.

Tom Phillips studying in the Roe Reading Room