Technology has seeped its way into every facet of today’s education environment. Students rely on it for their learning, educators for planning and teaching, parents for communication, and institutions for administration.
While it offers many advantages, schools are increasingly aware of technology’s potential disadvantages. Left unchecked, these disadvantages can evolve into threats, and even compromise the safety, well-being, and learning experience of students and the educational institution’s security and operational efficiency.
If your school struggles to get the most out of modern technology while minimizing its risks and resource consumption, know you’re not alone.
In this article, we’ll cover five disadvantages of technology in schools. We’ll also review the steps educational institutions can take to mitigate these disadvantages to ultimately reap the full benefits of technology.
Technology in K-12 schools: An overview
Conservative estimates state that over 7 out of 10 K-12 educators use technology in their classrooms daily — and, the adoption of technology is only increasing. By 2025, experts estimate that the TechEd market will be valued at $404b.
Given its widespread adoption, it’s no surprise that 70% of teachers note that classroom technology helps them do their jobs better. Bill Gates gave an opinion that is largely reflected by parents and educators everywhere: “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is most important.” Teachers use this tool to personalize their lessons to their student’s learning styles (49%), offer immersive experiences (72%), foster student collaboration (43%), access a wealth of resources (74%), track student progress (47%), and more.
Plus, with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming more accessible and integrated into educational technology, nearly 90% of educators believe AI will significantly impact education within the next three to five years. That’s to say that while technology plays a central role today, it will most likely become an even more transformative force in shaping the future of education.
Parents and schools are mostly on the same page when it comes to tech: 73% of parents report that technology enhances communication with teachers regarding their child’s progress. Another 75% of parents believe that technology prepares their children for the digital workplaces of the future. Very few believe that technology has no place in their children’s education.
This perception is mirrored by K-12 education institutions, with schools adopting many technologies — learning management systems (LMS), student information systems (SIS), timetabling software, and more — to improve educational outcomes.
5 disadvantages of technology in schools
Although parents, educators, and institutions recognize the importance of digital tools, they nonetheless share concerns.
The most common disadvantages of school technology relate to distractions, cybersecurity, cost, health, and the risk of students accessing harmful content.
1. Increased distractions
Social media, games, and messaging friends are just a few ways students can be distracted by classroom technology. Almost 70% of students state that something as common as a phone ringing is enough to disengage them from the lesson.
Maintaining student engagement can be a difficult task when teachers are forced to contend with the various digital distractions that digital tools bring into the classroom.
According to a study by the Program for International Student Assessment, two-thirds of U.S. students become distracted by using digital devices themselves, and about 54% report being distracted by other students who are using these devices. When we examine global data, these numbers increase: 65% of students worldwide say they are distracted by using digital devices themselves, and 59% report being distracted by other students who are using these devices.
2. Heightened cybersecurity risk
K-12 schools are among the most highly targeted groups.
Schools are consistently threatened by malicious actors who aim to gain unauthorized access to sensitive student and staff information, disrupt educational services through cyberattacks, and exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain. The consequences of such attacks go beyond cost to also threaten schools’ reputational and operational integrity, and compromise the safety and well-being of students and staff.
Today, malicious actors have a wide landscape to work with. This refers to the extensive array of digital technologies and interconnected systems used by schools that create multiple potential vulnerabilities for cyberattacks.
While many schools acknowledge these threats, they often run into a wall when they consider how to minimize costs while maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture. K-12 schools usually don’t have the luxury of allocating substantial budgets to advanced cybersecurity measures and personnel that larger organizations might afford.
3. Rise in cost and resource allocation
The list of educational institution technologies is extensive — most are considered essential. These include:
- Learning management systems (LMS): Platforms, like Google Classroom and Canvas, help teachers distribute assignments, track progress, and communicate with students online.
- Video conferencing tools: Applications, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet, that teachers use for live virtual classes and remote collaboration between teachers and students.
- Interactive whiteboards: Digital boards, like SMART Boards and Promethean Boards, facilitate interactive lessons by integrating touch technology with educational software.
- Student information systems (SIS): Software, like PowerSchool and Infinite Campus, that schools use to manage student data, including grades, attendance, and scheduling.
- Educational apps and software: Tools, like Kahoot, Quizlet, and Nearpod, provide interactive student learning experiences through quizzes, flashcards, and multimedia presentations.
- Communication platforms: Apps, like Remind and ClassDojo, facilitate communication between teachers, students, and parents.
- Content management systems (CMS): Platforms, like WordPress, that schools use to manage website content and publish information.
Even though most vendors offer a monthly or yearly subscription model that helps schools budget and plan, the cumulative costs of multiple subscriptions can still strain limited educational budgets and resources. Moreover, schools can struggle to carve out a sufficient budget to employ or contract IT staff who maintain these systems and address technical issues.
4. Decreased physical activity and socialization
The increase in technology has directly corresponded to the decrease in physical activity in school students. In fact, school kids with electronic devices are eight times more likely to have low physical activity.
This causes problems on multiple fronts, with socialization, mental health, and physical health being among the most pressing. Excessive technology use in K-12 school students is associated with obesity, depression, and anxiety, among other consequential health concerns. One study by the Yale School of Medicine involving over 5,000 9- and 10-year-olds found that increased time spent on digital technology directly correlated with a higher likelihood of developing depression and anxiety within only a couple of years.
Moreover, researchers from California State University, Northridge, state, “As predicted, it was found that excessive technology use negatively correlated with the development of social skills in children.”
5. Expanded risk landscape
Although depression, obesity, and reduced socialization are indirect consequences of excessive technology use, technology itself carries inherent risks. These inherent risks include cyberbullying, exposure to pornography, access to violent content, and more.
At ManagedMethods, one of our clients, Hueneme Elementary School District, faced a problem that many K-12 schools are familiar with: “Before Cloud Monitor [ManagedMethod’s advanced cloud-based threat detection and monitoring solution for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365], we knew things were going on but we didn’t know what and we didn’t know who. Now we do and we can put policies in place to automatically remediate the risks and make it into a teachable moment for the user.”
Virtually all schools are aware of the ever-present risks of technology, yet struggle to know how to regulate it.
How to ensure your students use technology safely and responsibly
Cyber threats, cyberbullying, access to harmful content, decreased physical activity and socialization, and classroom distractions all pose risks that need addressing. Fortunately, through the use of next-generation software, K-12 schools can ensure that their students use technology safely and responsibly.
At ManagedMethods, we offer several software solutions that effectively mitigate the risks posed by technology. We’ll soon be launching a new software, called Classroom Manager.
With Classroom Manager, teachers can monitor students’ device activities in real-time, easily block access to inappropriate or distracting websites, and redirect them to approved educational resources. Teachers can also use the “Scenes” feature to group students and customize their online access, allowing them to block or allow specific websites for different groups to support differentiated learning.
And, with an intuitive, centralized admin panel, IT administrators can effortlessly set up and manage classes, monitor active sessions, track which teachers are using the platform, and customize settings to maintain a secure and efficient learning environment.
ManagedMethods’ Classroom Manager is a scalable, easy-to-use, and easy-to-deploy solution — helping K-12 schools cost-effectively combat the pressing and consequential disadvantages of technology.
Click here to learn more about ManagedMethods’ Classroom Manager and to gain access to early-bird pricing.
