CQU experts call for rethink of classroom technology as student outcomes decline
As concerns grow about declining student performance across literacy, numeracy and critical thinking, CQUniversity experts are calling for a major rethink of how technology is used in Australian classrooms.
The call comes at a time of significant policy change in Australia’s education system, including new federal laws restricting social media use for under-16s and widespread school phone bans across multiple states.
While these measures aim to reduce digital distraction, CQUniversity experts say they do not address how technology is used within learning itself.
CQUniversity Education expert Dr Ragnar Purje said while digital devices are now embedded in schools, evidence suggests their widespread use may not be supporting – and may in some cases be undermining – student learning outcomes.
“We’ve reached a point where we need to seriously question whether current classroom practices are aligned with how students actually learn,” Dr Purje said.
“Technology has been rapidly adopted, but the evidence shows that without careful use, it can reduce the sustained effort and deep thinking that learning depends on.”
What neuroscience tells us
Professor Ken Purnell, CQUniversity’s Head of Educational Neuroscience, said the trend is consistent with what educational neuroscience has been signalling for years.
“Over the past 20 years, education systems around the world have invested billions of dollars in classroom laptops and tablets. Despite this, broad measures of student achievement and thinking skills have remained flat or have declined,” Professor Purnell said.
“From an educational neuroscience perspective, this pattern is not surprising. Heavy, fragmented or poorly structured device use competes with the sustained attention and working memory students need for deep understanding.”
Global evidence from digital rollout
Dr Purje said international evidence reinforces these concerns, pointing to large-scale digital education initiatives – including a $30 billion classroom technology investment in the United States – which has delivered little measurable improvement in student outcomes over two decades.
“The assumption was that more technology would automatically improve learning,” he said. “But the evidence suggests the opposite may be true when digital tools replace, rather than support, sustained cognitive effort.”
Impact on student thinking
Dr Purje pointed to research showing Generation Z is the first cohort in modern US history to perform worse academically than the generation before it.
“Learning requires effort, persistence and deep thinking,” he said. “When students outsource tasks like note-taking, recall or problem-solving to devices, they risk weakening the very cognitive processes education is meant to develop.”
The rise of ‘cognitive debt’
Professor Purnell said an emerging concern is the growing tendency for students to rely on devices to do the thinking for them.
“When students use technology to quickly search, summarise or generate answers, they often bypass the mental work required for learning. The result is what we call ‘cognitive debt’ – tasks are completed, but the underlying knowledge and thinking skills are not built,” he said.
Evidence from global studies
Research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and multiple independent studies has linked increased classroom screen time with reduced attention, lower memory retention and poorer academic outcomes.
Additional studies suggest digital multitasking disrupts working memory and limits deeper comprehension.
At the same time, evidence shows that off-task device use is widespread, with studies indicating up to 65 per cent of student laptop activity in classrooms is unrelated to learning.
It’s not the tech – it’s the use
Both academics emphasised that the issue is not technology itself, but how it is used.
“Technology is not inherently harmful, but how we use it matters,” Professor Purnell said. “Digital tools can support learning when they are used deliberately, at the right stage, with a clear purpose, and preferably in a teacher-led environment.”
Policy response not enough
Dr Purje said emerging policy responses, including school phone bans which are now being implemented across parts of Australia, are a step in the right direction but do not address the broader issue.
He said ongoing research in Australia examining the links between screen use, student wellbeing and academic performance further highlights the need for a more comprehensive, evidence-based approach to classroom technology.
“This is not about removing technology entirely,” he said. “It’s about rethinking how it is used, ensuring it enhances learning rather than replacing the cognitive effort essential for intellectual development.”
