Paper and digital textbooks have different characteristics and each has its own advantages. The textbooks children learn from should be based on paper, while digital textbooks should be used as supplementary materials to increase the effectiveness of learning.
Takuya Hirai, minister for digital transformation, has argued that textbooks used in elementary and junior high schools should be digitized in principle. The minister plans to provide each child with a digital device by the end of this school year, in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The use of digital textbooks has been allowed since the 2019 school year. By law, they are classified as "learning materials" and can be used in conjunction with paper textbooks. Unlike paper textbooks, they are not subject to free distribution, so only fewer than 10% of elementary, junior high and high schools have introduced them.
There are almost no calls from schools for the digitization of textbooks. Many teachers and parents are obviously concerned that children, some of whom these days spend problematically long periods of time on their smartphones, will be forced to look at screens continuously, even while at school.
In the case of digital textbooks, there are also concerns about securing a telecommunications environment, dealing with technical breakdowns, and effects on health, including deterioration of eyesight. It is natural that Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Koichi Hagiuda has taken a cautious stance toward a full transition to digital textbooks, arguing that "paper has its advantages to a certain extent."
Digital technology makes it possible to search for information quickly and to use audio and video. If used well in the classroom, digital technology can help students to understand paper textbooks more deeply.
On the other hand, it has been pointed out that digital textbooks are not suitable for careful reading and deep thinking. A study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that students who read books on paper scored higher in reading comprehension than those who read them on digital devices. The same is likely to be true for textbooks.
Linguistic activities such as reading, writing and thinking require opportunities to face printed text on paper.
In South Korea and Taiwan, digital textbooks have not been fully introduced due to such factors as doubts about their learning effectiveness and poor telecommunications connections. In Australia, some schools have scrapped digital textbooks after using them for five years, citing children's lack of concentration.
While the benefits of textbook digitization are still unclear, proposing the end of paper can only be described as a far-fetched argument. The effects and impact of this change must be thoroughly examined first. The role of digital textbooks must be explored as one that is complementary to a paper-based approach.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has set the "promotion of digitization" as his slogan for reform. Administrative efficiency must be improved, but digitization is not the only way to achieve this goal in every field. There is no room for haste in the field of education, which affects the future of our children.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Nov. 14, 2020.
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