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Austria: Digital media add variety to the curriculum

In the 1970s the introduction of free-of-charge school books revolutionised education in Austria. This experience is now being transferred into our digital age. The project “Connected Kids”, initiated by T-Mobile, for several weeks equips classrooms with mobile internet access and individual tablets for the students. With pedagogical and technical support the students can then try out the use of mobile communication in class. The project is now entering its third school year.

Schools often lack the means to put digital media to a test. This is where „Connected Kids“ comes into play. 3777 students, more than 200 educational professionals, 181 classes in 37 schools, those are the numbers the project has areached since its start two years ago. And the experiences have been positive throughout. The project brought variety into the curriculum, notes Paul Kral, pedagocical head of „Connected Kids“. This led to more motivation, while at the same time no problems regarding learning behaviour were observed during the project, he adds.

The tablet works as a supplement for existing learning material, not a substitute. Books and notebooks are still used. Thus, the project enriches the range of media, nothing is lost. Instead the project naturally and beneficially incorporates tablets and smartphones into education, after they have become staples outside of school.