– Pupils should read more on paper – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

The report of the Skjermbrukutvalet concludes that reading comprehension improves when we read longer texts on paper. The use of screens in Norwegian schools has increased rapidly in a short time, but the report calls for a balance between the use of the digital and the printed. The committee believes that both handwriting and keyboarding should have their place in teaching, as some pupils learn better and faster by writing by hand, while others learn better by using a keyboard. The report points out that handwriting can train pupils’ concentration and cognitive development. The committee believes that mobile use in school can be a tool for learning, but that it can also be disruptive. They encourage the governing authorities to evaluate national guidelines on mobile phone use. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s ​​journalists before publication. – I think data, screens and the internet are the future. It is something we have spent a lot of time working on. Of course, there are some downsides to it, but it is also important to learn and use it properly. Caroline Victoria Awa Knutsen says so. She is in 8C at Marienlyst school. All students have their own PC there. When news meets the class, the pupils sit with their own screens. Ole Spildo Håstein, Caroline Victoria Awa Knutsen and Philip Husebye Skramstad say that they use screens at school every day. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news The use of screens has increased rapidly. This is also the case in many other classrooms in Norway, according to the Skjermbrukutvalet’s recent report. Here they write that the use of screens in Norwegian schools has increased rapidly in a short time. Digital units are an integral part of the teaching. And many pupils have access to, for example, their own PCs. At Marienlyst school, they still use paper and pen in addition to the screen. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news In the report, the selection looks at “consequences of screens in school”. This is among the conclusions in the report: Both printed and digital technologies should have their place in school There is much evidence that pupils should read more on paper Both handwriting and keyboards have their natural place in teaching Governing bodies should evaluate national guidelines – The screen should not replace a book, handwriting or physical training, says Robert Steen, who has led the selection. The screen offers disturbances “Reading comprehension is better when we read coherent information texts on paper than on a screen”, write the selection. – And the advice we are already giving today is that we must continue paper reading in Norwegian schools, says the committee leader. When we read on a screen, we tend to read more superficially. In addition, several disturbances may occur, the committee believes. Screen use in Norwegian schools has increased rapidly in a short time. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news Caroline agrees that the screen can cause her to lose focus. – If I read on the screen, it can be more difficult to follow along, she says. Classmates Ole Spildo Håstein and Philip Husebye Skramstad, on the other hand, believe that there is not much difference if they read on a screen or on paper. Ole Spildo Håstein thinks it’s fine to read on a screen. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news – I think it’s good to read on a screen. Then you can, for example, zoom in, says Ole. According to the report, the choice of screen or paper plays a minor role for pupils who are good at reading. Pupils with lower skills can benefit more from reading on paper. The committee also believes that both handwriting and keyboarding should have their place in school. – Writing is probably a bit more shared. There we see that parts of the student body learn more and faster by writing by hand, while other parts of the student body learn better and faster by using a keyboard, says Steen. Although Idunn and Mathilde each have their own PC, they like to write by hand. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news Utvalet points out that handwriting can train students’ concentration and cognitive development. Idunn Myhre Jacobsen and Mathilde Bakken Svåna say that they think it is better to read in a book than on a screen. They also say that they get things better if they write by hand. The mobile phone will probably be released The results of the Pisa survey recently came out. There it emerged that Norwegian pupils do worse. Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap) pointed to screen use in school as part of the problem. The relatively new Minister of Education has already made a mark by saying that she wants national guidelines for mobile phone use in school. The committee believes that mobile phone use in school can be a tool for learning, but that it can also be disruptive. They believe that the governing authorities should evaluate national guidelines on mobile phone use. And according to the Minister of Knowledge, these guidelines can already come into effect in the new year. Mimi Dedichen (in the middle) is a 10th grade teacher. The food and health class is screen-free. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news Mimi Dedichen, who is a teacher at Marienlyst school and who has a master’s degree in educational technology, believes that it is right that mobile phones should not be part of the daily school routine. – I don’t see any reason why they should be allowed to have their phones in class, she says. In this locker, students must put their mobiles away when they come to school. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news At school they have a so-called “mobile hotel”, but she still admits that mobile use is sometimes a problem. – I think that a ban on mobile phones at national level would have made the situation easier for both the school and teachers, she says. The learning effect of screens in schools Photo: Tariq Alisubh / news Unesco’s report Technology in education from 2023 and the Norwegian GrunDig report from 2022 refer to international meta-analyses – research studies that try to find and weight previous research on screen use in schools. The meta-studies all conclude with positive effects of combining screen use and regular learning versus having only traditional teaching. But how effective it is varies between subjects and studies. (Small effects in educational research are considered effect sizes below 0.18. Anything above 0.56 is considered a large effect.) A meta-analysis of the impact of technology on learning effectiveness of elementary students (2017): 0.55 The potential of digital tools to enhance mathematics and science learning in secondary schools: A context-specific meta-analysis (2020): 0.65 How handheld use is connected to learning-related factors and academic achievement: Meta-analysis and research synthesis (2022): 0 .71 Effects of Game-Based Learning on Students’ Critical Thinking: A Meta-Analysis (2021): 0.86 The effectiveness of educational technology applications for enhancing mathematics achievement in K-12 classrooms: A meta-analysis (2013): 0 .15 The Effects of Using Mobile Devices on Student Achievement in Language Learning: A Meta-Analysis (2018): 0.51 Dynamic Geometry Software Improves Mathematical Achievement: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2014): 1.02 How features of educational technology applications affect student reading outcomes: A meta-analysis (2012): 0.11 Does gamification improve student learning outcomes? Evidence from a meta-analysis and synthesis of qualitative data in educational contexts (2020): 0.50 The effect of technology supported teaching on students’ academic achievement: A combined meta-analytic and thematic study (2017): 0.66 * Digital Game-Based Learning for K-12 Mathematics Education: A Meta-Analysis (2018): not stated in abstract A meta-analysis of the impact of mobile learning on mathematics achievement (2021): 0.48 A meta-analysis of the impact of technology on learning effectiveness of elementary students (2017): medium effect The use of touch devices for enhancing academic achievement: A meta-analysis (2019): medium effect The age of the students in these studies varies and can be from the entire education course. Metastudies looking at younger children (and not included in the reports mentioned above): Input to the list? Send an email. *effect size not stated, figures taken from the same lead author’s later meta-study (2019)



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