Why use digital technology to work on CPS?

In this article, we're going to tackle a rather controversial subject: the use of screens with children. You may be wondering why we chose to design an application to develop psychosocial skills! We'll explain it all to you in this article, which we hope will help you sort out prejudices from real facts, and give you some concrete pointers on the use of digital technology in the classroom.

Contradictory injunctions

When it comes to education, screens are at the heart of polarized discourses. "We oscillate between a boundless optimism linked to the arrival of new technologies and a fear of the risk of loss of attention and the - fantasized - risk of addiction", notes Elena Pasquinelli, a cognitive science researcher, member of the "La Main à la pâte" foundation and associated with the ENS Jean-Nicod Institute.

This dichotomy is also reflected in the recommendations. On the one hand, the institution encourages the use of digital technologies through the development of pilot projects in schools, notably by allocating specific budgets for ICTE(Information and Communication Technologies for Education). On the other hand, the use of digital technology is decried. Sweden, for example, recently blamed screens for a drop in pupil performance and called for a return to textbooks, but when you consider that they had gone 100% digital, you realize that they may have gone a little too far in their experimentation.

So, yes, the over-consumption of screens is harmful to the health of everyone, children and adults alike, but we need to move away from these extreme visions of optimism or catastrophism. The relationship with screens is complex, and the solution is certainly not to turn them off or ban them altogether.

What does the research say?

Early exposure to screens is considered a risk for child development, particularly in children under 3: impact on sleep and social interaction, likelihood of developing language delays, etc. Prevention involves applying the "3/6/9/12" rule , which guides parents and educators towards "reasoned use" according to the child's age.

The question of exposure time is the subject of recent studies: In 2018, Canadian researchers J.Walsh et al. demonstrated that children who spend more than two hours a day in front of a screen have an average IQ score 4.25 points lower than other children. A new large-scale study of 14,000 children aged 2 to 5, published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, has just demonstrated that,beyond the time spent, it's the context of use that takes precedence in young children, family habits and the quality of the program. For example, watching television in the background during dinner is deleterious, whereas watching a cartoon or documentary can be quite beneficial if it's not passive: "The adult can accompany the child, ask questions about what he's watching, get him involved and stimulate his understanding. We shouldn't demonize the screen: television can be a way for children to learn and develop their curiosity," notes INSERM researcher Jonathan Bernard.

What are the benefits of digital technology in the classroom?

Using a digital and playful environment is not just for the students' enjoyment... Far from a techno-centric approach, which would advocate the use of new technologies to be in with the times or to create a "Wow effect", our pedagogical approach is learner-centered, and seeks its foundations in various research studies on motivation, metacognition, the growth mindset, neuroscience, and so on.

Here are just a few of the reasons why digital and play-based learning have their place at school for developing CPS/Soft Skills.

Firstly, it facilitates engagement and reflection: students appreciate the attractive graphic universe, but above all, they can experience the moment as a real time for introspection, without judgment. Giving their opinion orally is much more intimidating: they can formulate their thoughts at their own pace, without the fear of having to speak publicly, and without the pressure of other people's gaze.

Secondly, play avoids the fear of failure, offering the opportunity to learn without the fear of making mistakes. Mistakes are an implicit part of learning through play. For example, we know that we have to try things out, and that we're allowed several attempts. Immediate, personal feedback makes for much faster progress. What's more, using a paper-based medium - an "exercise" to be returned to the teacher for correction - is not at all perceived in the same way as a game on a tablet, even if it involves the same task: a matching exercise or MCQ, for example.

Another point in favor of learning: a digital, playful environment acts on episodic memory. In fact, by making the Psychosocial Competencies (PSC) development session special, we help to anchor learning.

But what about the socio-constructivist conception of learning? Far from denying it, we're actually giving it pride of place! It's true that we learn best by playing, for the reasons outlined above, but only if we have phases for debriefing, taking stock and comparing points of view. To this end, we offer a range of classroom activities:

• group discussions and debates to develop opinions
• role-playing to put into practice what has been learned
• small-group activities to consolidate learning and learn to work together
• artistic activities to develop creativity
• activities to formalize learning, such as application exercises or the creation of written records.

The use of digital technology in a school context, with appropriate content, is beneficial to development and learning. The key is to regulate and support this use. That's why schools have a major role to play in supporting students in their digital use, and offering them appropriate solutions.