Habilidades cognitivas y uso de nuevas tecnologías en primaria

Abstract

The introduction of new technologies in schools and their use in teaching methods have opened up the possibility of breaking down the barriers between developed realities and areas characterized by the economic crisis, offering everyone equal opportunities to benefit from this knowledge and to have connections with all parts of the world at any time. Being able to communicate with others so quickly has been made possible by processors which have become more and more powerful, as well as by connection methods which have become more advanced. My research project is configured as a critical voice in the general chorus of consents that welcome educational innovations based on the use of new technologies. It is clear that I do not intend in any way to reduce the importance of digital devices in all aspects of life, not even in schools, but I aim to highlight the critical issues that the inclusion of technologies has produced, with particular reference to the areas characterized by social, cultural and economic exclusion, such as that found in the suburbs of large cities of southern Italy, or in the small towns of southern Italy, where ICT is generally considered to be an opportunity for cultural growth, but even more so as the certainty of social and economic development. The main interest of this project, therefore, lies in this unconventional view, without enthusiasm or prejudices, which describes the reality of less well-off areas and gives ICT its right role, without, however, reducing its scope. Method: In the first phase of the research I was inspired by the standard criteria of a sociological survey. The process starts from the theory, then passes through the stages of collection and analysis of data and finally returns to the theory through six phases, which are the identification of the reference theory; basic assumptions; the identification of detection instruments; collecting the data; processing, data analysis and the interpretation of the results; the presentation and dissemination of the results. I used a tested methodology - the survey - a quantitative field research which, unlike experimental research, is conducted in a real context and involves a significant number of cases. The field in which I carried out the surveys is the outskirts of Naples, in particular the area of Scampia, Milan and Secondigliano. My main contact was the world of education, which in many cases in those areas is the bastion of the State. Results: In Scampia I found confirmation that technology has not had a significant effect on the inclusion and recovery of poor and disadvantaged students. For the advocates of technology, this result from the first report regarding digital skills compiled by OECD is disappointing, as well as the one derived from the observation research in Scampia. There is no doubt that digital skills represent a key element for inclusion in a society where technology is becoming more pervasive: those who do not have the basic knowledge to surf the Internet and find their way on the web will not be able to actively participate in the economic, social and cultural world of the near future. Another conclusion I have reached is that technology is not effective when used as a substitute to teaching. Once the “digital divide” linked to access to the network has been overcome, much more needs to be invested in education and teaching since it appears increasingly clear from statistics that filling classrooms with computers is of little use. The data obtained from this research shows that the majority of primary school pupils currently use social networks, especially Facebook (82%). The use of electronic mail is reduced a lot, virtually unknown to most (16%). SMS are in decline, as they are written by only 30% of pupils. Conclusion: The digital school does not always keep the promises made by technology. At least this is the result that comes out not only from my research in the area of Scampia, but also from OECD data published in 2015, which I used as a basis of comparison. There is no evidence which shows that the introduction of digital devices in classrooms will automatically lead to an improvement in the academic performances of school pupils.