Instead of learning from books, more and more children prefer learning on the screen, where various content is conveyed in a playful way with moving pictures and animated characters. From a scientific point of view, direct feedback and individual learning paths speak in favor of learning on a computer or tablet.
More and more students find learning from books no longer appropriate. Dry learning content in particular, such as historical data or learning vocabulary, can be conveyed much more easily with digital help.
According to a student survey carried out by FACT-Online, learning with computers and tablets should be an integral part of everyday life in schools. A total of 860 children between the ages of five and 13 were interviewed for the representative survey and the result was what many experts have been demanding for a long time: digital learning is still neglected in schools. A tablet, like a pencil case and lunch, should belong in every school satchel.
Few children still enjoy learning from books
The evaluation shows that the majority of children prefer to learn digitally, with the proportion of boys being greater than that of girls. It also shows that just 15 percent of the children surveyed prefer to learn from books. The experts are certain that the greater learning success is due, on the one hand, to the fact that several of the children’s senses are addressed at the same time while learning on the screen (see, hear, interact), even difficult learning material is well explained and learning content is also conveyed in a playful way Children more motivated and also great fun.
Even if learning on a computer or tablet is not yet an integral part of schools, many children are still learning the current subject matter online at learning platforms for children.
How long should children study on the computer?
The parents also register the increased willingness to learn as soon as the little ones sit in front of the screen. A Forsa survey among parents with school-age children agrees with the current FACT-Online study: Around 25 percent of parents feel that their children have more fun learning when they solve tasks on the computer or tablet. However, from the parents’ point of view, learning on the screen only takes up space. Almost 28 percent of the mothers and fathers surveyed believe that their children have even more fun doing practical work.
Although children and parents see the advantage of learning on the computer, the question of how long children should study on the screen remains open. Media educators recommend age-appropriate screen time. For elementary school children, for example, this should not be more than an hour a day – regardless of whether they study, play computer games, or watch TV during this time.
Media literacy as a positive side effect
Experts see another positive side effect for the children through learning on the Internet: Through the controlled use of digital media, the children increase their media skills. After all, well over 60 percent of six to 13-year-olds use the Internet almost every day. Parents and schools should therefore make it their task to explain to children how to use digital media.