Written by Professor Rachel Feld

Picture a child using technology. What do you see? Is it a grade-schooler in a restaurant, glued to a screen instead of talking to their family? Or maybe a baby in their bouncy seat complete with a tablet holder? (Really, this was an actual product—although it doesn’t seem to be available anymore.) These pictures all come to mind for me too. The negative effects of technology on our children seem to be everywhere.

But I like to focus on a picture from my own childhood. I’m with my dad in his office, playing a game on his lap or learning about the new gadget or program he brought home from work. These are some of my favorite childhood memories, and they’re a big reason why I’m involved in technology to this day.

What’s the difference between these pictures? Why does the first picture make me cringe while the other gives me warm fuzzy feelings? While there are many factors that separate these different technology uses, one of the biggest factors is how the technology is being used and, more specifically, whether that use is active or passive.

Active vs. Passive Technology
Thankfully, active vs. passive technology use is easier to understand than active vs. passive voice in writing. At least it is to me. In passive technology use, the user is the consumer. This might be consuming the latest Netflix series, a social media feed, or even an instructional video. In active technology use, the user is the creator. This might be producing videos or coding apps.

Students can use technology in a variety of active, creative ways, practicing their problem-solving skills and, maybe most importantly, collaborating with others.

The characteristics of active technology uses are also found elsewhere in education. The Four Cs of 21st-century learning—critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity—fit the definition of active technology use exactly. These skills, found in the National Education Association’s “Framework for 21st Century Learning,” are identified as the most important skills students need to be successful in 21st-century society.

The ISTE Standards for Students, developed by the International Society for Technology in Education, also support active technology use in the classroom. The National Association for the Education of Young Children differentiated between active and passive technology uses in their 2012 position statement on technology, going so far as to exclude passive technology uses from their position.

Unfortunately, even though active technology use is supported in many areas of education, passive technology use seems to be more prevalent.

The Digital Use Divide
The National Education Technology Plan from the U.S. Department of Education defines the difference between active and passive technology use as the “digital use divide.” This is the next generation of the “digital divide,” which separated those who readily have access to technology from those who do not.

With the increased focus on the digital divide, student access to technology has increased. But now we’re facing the digital use divide. Students have access to technology at home and in school, but the ways they are using that technology are becoming increasingly disparate.

The digital use divide exists for many of the same reasons the digital divide exists. Active technology use requires more. More money for specific devices and software. More training for teachers and students. More planning for teachers. More, more, more. Passive technology use often requires less. Less preparation. Less time.

Watching a video for science class requires less preparation than setting up labs. Having students type up individual book reports in Google Docs is less work than having them work on collaborative video book commercials. Recording a screencast of the distance learning lesson takes less time than setting up an interactive lesson with something like EdPuzzle.

Solution: Start Small
So what is a teacher to do? The timesaving features of passive technology use can, at times, be sanity-saving for teachers. The “mores” needed for active technology use—devices, software, training, time—are very hard to come by. My suggestion is to be mindful and start small.

• Think through any existing passive technology use in your classroom and look for ways to add critical thinking, communication, collaboration, or creativity.
• Identify one active technology use that could be most impactful in your classroom or school and implement it.
• Look at your own technology uses and identify ways to increase your active technology use. (Although I’m not suggesting we completely give up passive technology uses! Everyone needs a good Netflix binge now and then!)
• And finally, be a cheerleader for active technology use within your school community, and highlight active technology uses that parents can encourage at home.

Technology use by children is a very polarizing topic. Using technology has many advantages, but we often reach for passive technology uses first. Instead, let’s model and encourage active technology use in our families, our classrooms, and our schools. In this way, we can help close the digital use divide and increase the critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity of our students.

Professor Feld presented on this topic for the OpenLearning@MLC Virtual Conference. CLICK HERE to View.

Professor Rachel Feld (’06) serves as director of academic computing at Martin Luther College-New Ulm.