How does classroom technology impact information retention?
Op-Ed: Arguments can be made for and against the role of technology in students' retention - the key is in balance and intentional use.
By Zachary Amos
Classroom technology now plays a central role in many New Zealand schools, from digital whiteboards to student devices and online learning platforms.
These tools create new opportunities to engage students, but they also introduce new challenges. Technology can strengthen or weaken information retention depending on how teachers use it.
Educators and administrators should shift focus from whether to use technology to how to apply it effectively in the classroom.
Read the latest print edition of School News online HERE.
How technology can improve information retention
Teachers can use technology to improve how students process and retain information. Digital tools support multimodal learning by combining visuals, audio and interaction.
When teachers present content in different formats, they help students build stronger mental connections, especially when topics feel abstract or complex.
Read more from Zachary Amos here
People remember learned material better when they use both verbal association and visual imagery, which is known as the dual coding theory.
Simply adding a picture to what students read can increase information retention from 10 percent to 65 percent in just three days.
Technology allows teachers to create more active learning experiences.
When students answer questions, respond to polls or complete interactive tasks, they engage directly with the material. This process strengthens memory because students retrieve information rather than passively receive it.
Teachers can also use digital platforms to tailor learning.
Students can revisit content, move at a suitable pace and focus on areas where they need support. This flexibility helps teachers address different ability levels within the same classroom.
Where technology can harm retention
Technology can reduce retention when teachers do not manage it carefully.
Students often face cognitive overload when teachers present too many inputs at once. Task-switching costs up to 40 percent of productive time due to the cognitive load of moving between multiple tasks.
Videos, text and more compete for attention, which can make it hard for students to process information deeply. This may result in students only grasping information at a surface level.
Related School News article: New guidance issued to school staff on privacy for young people
Devices have a tendency to be distracting and make it easy for students to access unrelated content. Technology can also encourage passive behaviour.
Students may copy notes from slides or watch content without thinking about it. When learners do not actively engage with the material, they miss the opportunity to reinforce their understanding.
Retention declines without effortful thinking, whereas retrieval practice is an effective learning strategy that improves comprehension and memory.
Practical ways to use technology more effectively
Teachers can take a more deliberate approach to using technology to support retention.
They can use digital tools to prompt retrieval by asking students to recall information regularly through short quizzes and questions.
They can also set clear expectations around device use to minimise distractions during lessons.
Teachers can combine digital activities with non-digital tasks to deepen understanding. For example, students can follow an online activity with a discussion or written reflection.
They can also simplify digital content by limiting the number of elements on a screen, which helps students focus on what matters most.
A study found that students who spent up to an hour per day on digital devices for learning activities scored 14 points higher in maths than those who spent no time with these learning activities.
When teachers design activities that require students to think, solve problems or explain ideas, they turn technology into a tool for engagement.
A balanced approach to classroom technology that drives retention
Retention depends more on how teachers structure learning than on the tools they use.
Technology often amplifies existing teaching practices when teachers design lessons that require students to recall and apply information, strengthening long-term retention.
When teachers already deliver structured, engaging lessons, digital tools can enhance the experience.
