Remco: schools are looking for a balance between what can be done on screen and what is better without.

Remco: schools are looking for a balance between what can be done on screen and what is better without.

Digital learning tools are indispensable in education according to Remco Pijpers, expert on digital learning tools. "A laptop can contribute to a good lesson, but you always have to take some things into account." From his role at Kennisnet, an organization that advises schools about ICT, he looks critically at technology. "We must see screen time as a shared responsibility of parents and school."

Laptops as enrichment

According to Pijpers, digital tools are now as normal as pen and paper, but that does not mean they replace everything. “Schools look for a balance between what can be on screen and what is better without.” At the same time, laptops offer advantages: “They can enrich lessons and let students work at their own pace.” Yet digitization also brings challenges, especially when it comes to distraction.

New kind of distraction due to digital tools

“Distraction is always around,” says Pijpers, “but digital tools bring in a new kind of distraction.” According to him, students are tempted by games, messages, and videos among other things. Schools can partly limit this with technical measures, but that also has a downside. “Then you are already on a slippery slope,” he warns. That is why the solution is not only in control, but precisely in balance and trust. Parents also play an important role in that. “It is not a competition,” he says about digital skills. “The pedagogical relationship is the most important factor. By staying in conversation with schools, parents can contribute to a healthy way of dealing with technology. It ultimately concerns the well-being of students, and that is a shared responsibility.”