The Impact of Education Technology Use on Elementary and Middle School Students

Education technology has increasingly found its way into schools, often as an alternative to traditional learning methods (e.g., students typing instead of handwriting notes in class). District leaders must consider their technological options carefully to ensure that students and teachers are best supported in meeting their district’s strategic priorities and learning outcomes.

This report demonstrates that educators must balance best practices for teaching essential academic skills (e.g., reading, writing) with the need to expose students to the fundamental digital competencies necessary for an increasingly technology-reliant world.

The goal of this report is to provide educators with research they can use to implement evidence-based practices regarding the use of education technology. Download the full report or read key observations below.

Limit screen time to protect students’ sleep

Minimize student exposure to entertainment-based screen time in school and prevent excessive device-based homework assignments to protect students’ sleep. While districts do not have control over students’ screen use at home, they can minimize exposure to unhealthy screen use in the classroom and advise teachers to assign primarily screen-free homework. Institutions like the World Health Organization advise that children and adolescents spend no more than two hours per day using devices for entertainment purposes, and caution that screen use close to bedtime lowers the quality of students’ sleep and can negatively impact achievement.

Use traditional educational methods over digital alternatives

To improve students’ abilities in core competencies like reading and writing, use traditional educational methods (e.g., handwriting) over digital alternatives (e.g., typing). Before students reach adequate mastery of education technology tools, they consistently perform worse academically when using technology to complete tasks. With a few exceptions, device-based reading and writing are not as beneficial to students as their traditional alternatives (e.g., reading on paper) and provide more opportunities for distraction.

Prepare students to adequately navigate new digital platforms

Embed instruction on basic digital competencies into classrooms prior to introducing new technology to students. Districts must carefully consider whether students have been adequately prepared to navigate new digital platforms. Technology can enhance classroom learning when used well, but without proper preparation, can introduce barriers to learning instead. One barrier caused by inadequate instruction around technology use is executive dysfunction, which can cause students to fail to complete assignments for non-academic reasons.

Consider how technology use impacts students’ executive function

Consider the varied effects of technology use on executive functions when integrating education technology into the classroom. Research finds that executive functions (EF) (e.g., inhibitory control, working memory) can significantly impact students’ success in school and beyond. Educators should consider when technology tools place undue stress on student EF (e.g., programs requiring students to remember multiple pieces of information simultaneously) while embedding EF skill development (which may include technology-based EF training) into school curricula.

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