Tech-savvy or just screen addicts?
Predictions suggest that in the future, 9 out of 10 job roles will require advanced digital skills. Despite children being glued to their smart devices nearly all the time, many still lack a deep understanding of how to use them effectively. Even young adults, now entering the job market struggle. How is this possible? In many countries, digital education is still not considered important enough to be included in the curriculum of local schools. The map below shows how digital education is treated around the world. As you can see, in many countries, computer science education is present only in some schools or not at all.
Source: Brookings (2021)
“Schools must develop better-structured curricula, regularly update them, and incorporate digital skills across various subjects. While children can learn at home from their parents or through self-study, such approaches are often disorganised and in addition fail to provide the essential social interaction that classroom environments offer,” says Alena.
When should digital education start?
This is a tricky question. “As soon as a child gets their first smart device,” Alena advises, “parents should give at least a basic lesson on digital safety. This should cover what they might encounter online, what is appropriate, and the fundamentals of digital security, like not sharing personal information with strangers and understanding that not everything online is true. Parents should also monitor which websites their child visits.” However, opinions on this matter differ. Jarmila Tomková, a child psychologist believes the education should start even sooner. In this interview, she revealed that the child should be educated even before they receive their first smart device. Ultimately, it is your decision to make as you are the parent who knows the child and your environments best.
“For primary school children, it’s important to teach them about online dangers like internet predators and phishing scams,” Alena continues. “They need to have a trusting relationship with their parents so that if they encounter anything suspicious or distressing, they feel comfortable confiding in their parents immediately. As children get older, they should be educated about cyberbullying. They need to know how to respond if they become a target, and parents should clearly outline expectations for respectful behaviour toward others. Alongside all that, schools should educate children about how their devices work, how the apps work and how can some of their features be exploited.”
Digital divide
One of the major challenges in digital education is the widening gap between those who have access to technology and the internet and those who do not. Schools should prioritise providing access to the computers that students can use after school, whether for assignments or exploration. It’s also crucial to have tech-savvy staff available to guide them and answer their questions. Similarly, towns and cities should consider creating computer rooms in public libraries or community centres operated by non-profit organisations with knowledgeable staff for the same reasons. We must provide children with opportunities to learn and offer the necessary guidance; otherwise, they will continue using technology passively.
How can programming enrich children’s lives outside school?
“Programming is an excellent way to develop problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and resilience. It teaches children not to give up when something doesn’t work right away, encouraging them to find new approaches and collaborate with others to solve problems. These skills are transferable to many other areas of life. Programming also helps children build critical thinking abilities, which will be invaluable throughout their lives. They learn to independently research information online, verify its accuracy, and not blindly trust everything they see. Additionally, programming enhances their understanding of cybersecurity by teaching them how individual programs work and what potential risks they may pose. Moreover, being able to use digital tools can significantly boost children’s creativity. All these skills will be essential in their future careers, no matter what paths they choose,” says Alena.
Avoiding bias
Another challenge Alena highlights is the unconscious bias we may hold toward certain marginalised groups, not only kids from socially disadvantaged environments, but also girls. “In collaboration with Microsoft, the organisation Code.org conducted a survey focusing on why young girls often don’t find IT appealing. The results showed that many girls consider themselves creative, but they don’t see IT as a creative field. By demonstrating that programming can actually be highly creative, we could potentially increase their interest in it. Unfortunately, we often reinforce stereotypes by saying things like, ‘You’re a girl, so IT probably isn’t for you – there are other things you can do.’ But in my experience, when girls try programming, they often come up with the most innovative ideas!”
Platforms such as Code/Art focus on young female coders whom they try to motivate to further develop their skills with various competitions. The girls are encouraged to compete in animated art, creation of their own games and similar projects requiring lots of creativity.
What are the biggest challenges in digital education?
“In today’s world, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for children to stay focused. To keep students interested, teachers need to make lesson plans more interactive. The curriculum also needs to be updated regularly to keep up with new technologies and tools.
Teachers themselves must stay up to date with these changes through ongoing professional development. Additionally, the entire education system in some countries will need to evolve soon. Memorising facts, which was once the cornerstone of education, is no longer enough. In today’s world, it’s more important to know how to efficiently find and verify information.
This shift presents a significant challenge for the education system, which will need to address these issues sooner or later,” explains Alena.
AI to the rescue
For Alena, AI will significantly enhance the quality of digital education: “With the constant evolution of AI tools, it seems they might soon simplify the role of the teachers and even make more personalised learning possible. AI can consider special needs as well as learning disabilities and for example allow for better grading process which will better reflect the skills of kids. AI also allows us to create safe virtual spaces for all sorts of experiments as well as make various resources more accessible.”
However, children should also be educated about the possible risks of AI in education such as bias, misinformation or its misuse.
Games in education
There are many educational games which teach children programming or other digital skills. However, even games originally developed purely for entertainment are in fact more beneficial than we might realise.
Alena shares, “Games bring a wealth of advantages! Titles like Roblox and Minecraft are now embraced for educational purposes. Even genres like shooters or racing games have their merits. These games enhance cognitive and strategic thinking, sharpen reflexes, and build cooperative skills. For instance, Fortnite, with its in-game purchases like extra skins, provides lessons in financial literacy. Kids learn that spending $10 on a virtual item might not be the best choice when they’re saving their own money. Moreover, many games impart ethical lessons, showing how our choices can impact others.”
An often-overlooked perk of gaming is its impact on technological savviness. Gamers frequently gain a deeper understanding of both hardware and software, navigating their computers with greater ease and expertise.
As you can see, digital education is crucial for a child's future success. It helps children develop problem-solving abilities, effective communication skills, resilience, and other valuable competencies that are useful beyond the IT context. By understanding the technology, they use daily, children are better prepared for future job roles and can better protect themselves online by recognising the dangers they may encounter. These insights come from Alena Kanabová, Health & Public Service Industry Lead at Accenture’s Danubia Advanced Technology Centre and Corporate Citizenship Lead for Accenture Slovakia.
