Jakey Lebwohl, Emma Park and Zach Rausch, via a kind reader:
Denise Champney: As a school based SLP for over 25 years, I have witnessed this trend first hand. I work directly with lower performing students and frustratingly watch how their learning is impacted when they are handed a chromebook. This technology creates another barrier to their learning. For example, with the ease of tech, these children are given academic accommodations (i.e. typing rather than writing, speech to text, audio versions of texts and so on) without being provided adequate opportunities to fully develop those skills. While accommodations are important at times, technology has allowed these tools to be used excessively and I would argue reduces the opportunity for children to develop these skills. How can we truly measure the missed opportunities a child with dyslexia has to develop their reading skills when they always have the ability to listen to a story or math problem because it is presented on a screen? How can we accurately measure how giving a child with ADHD a device that is designed to rob their attention and expect them to learn to their fullest potential? How can we expect children with fine motor weaknesses to develop their skills when they are always allowed to type rather than write? Our current education system is so focused on gathering data through progress monitoring using a computer that children who are struggling learners will continue to fall further behind. Add AI to the mix and this gap will grow even wider.
Jakey Lebwohl
Thank you for your comment, Denise. There are many ways digital tech might hurt struggling students the most – perhaps it is most distracting for those with low conscientiousness or executive functioning skills, who are more likely to struggle. It might make cheating easier, and if lower-performing students are more likely to cheat, they will be more affected by the change. Your comment suggests another possible mechanism: computers that imperfectly monitor progress and replace in-person monitoring might leave students who need the most help behind.