A new report introduces a practical tool to help NSW education policymakers and schools decide when, where and how technology can support learning outcomes following the NSW Government’s announcement to limit screen use in schools.
Produced as part of Dr Jo Orlando’s APPI Policy Fellowship, Effective screen use in NSW schools: A Panoramic Framework for intentional technology decisions examines how schools can manage technology use in a way that supports their overall wellbeing while preparing young people for a digital and artificial intelligence (AI) future.
The report offers a connected framework for more coherent and consistent technology decisions within this policy landscape, drawing on evidence on how best to embed technology in curricula and relevant government policies. The Panoramic Framework draws on Australian and international literature, an analysis of media coverage of technology in schools and interviews with representatives from the NSW Department of Education.
The Panoramic Framework for Intentional Technology complements the NSW Department of Education’s existing policy tools by bringing learning, safety, wellbeing and equity together to support teachers and school leaders’ day-to-day technology decisions. These considerations are often addressed separately across policy, procurement, research and public debate. The framework provides a shared approach to considering them together.
Report author Dr Jo Orlando said: “The NSW Government’s focus on limiting screen use provides an important foundation for schools. This framework supports teachers and school leaders to build on that approach by deciding when technology has a clear learning purpose and what safeguards are needed.”
The NSW Government’s focus on limiting screen use provides an important foundation for schools. This framework supports teachers and school leaders to build on that approach by deciding when technology has a clear learning purpose and what safeguards are needed.
Dr Jo Orlando, report author
APPI Grants and Fellowships Manager Gillian Smith said: “A sharper focus on screen use gives schools an opportunity to be more intentional about classroom technology. This report offers policymakers and educators a practical way to identify where technology can best support learning, while considering safety, wellbeing and equity.”
APPI Policy Fellowships support policy-relevant research with strong potential to inform government decision-making and public policy.
