With over 30 years of research & classroom-based experience, Dr. Kirsti Lonka from the University of Helsinki shares her findings on how technology can positively impact learning environments, and where it doesn’t play a role.
Here are three takeaways from our longer conversation:
There is a large divide between school & ‘the real world’, driving disengagement in learning.
Dr. Lonka argues that traditional schooling often operates in an artificial vacuum—teaching isolated, compartmentalised subjects that fail to reflect how modern work, society, and technology actually operate. This creates a gap with reality: In the workplace and modern life, challenges are rarely divided neatly into "maths" or "history" units; they are complex, multidisciplinary problems solved through collaborative projects.
To close this gap, she advocates for learning models centered on real-world phenomena (such as climate change, urbanization, or AI implementation). Students learn to combine skills across disciplines and use digital technology natively—mirroring the tools, inquiry, and teamwork required in the adult world.
Focus on cultivating deep engagement, regardless of the learning tool
For previous generations, education relied heavily on a sense of duty and passive reception of facts. Dr. Lonka emphasizes that modern learners require agency, intrinsic motivation, and emotional engagement with their learning, regardless of whatever learning tool is being used. AI and digital tools should not be used to automate old, passive teaching methods, but rather to spark curiosity, support inquiry-based learning, and enable students to take control of their own knowledge construction.
The ‘binary view’ of screen-time helps no-one
A central pillar of her research is that viewing screen time through a simple "good vs. bad" or quantitative binary (measuring raw hours spent on devices) misses how human cognition actually interacts with technology.
One key area of the discussion includes looking at the purpose, vs. duration of use. Schools should distinguish between passive, recreational screen consumption (such as endless scrolling or gaming) and knowledge-driven digital activity (like collaborative problem solving or using AI as an intellectual sparring partner).
The second looks at impacts on well-being. Dr. Lonka’s findings show that when students use technology for active, knowledge-creation purposes, it yields measurable improvements in both academic performance and mental well-being.
Simply counting hours ignores whether a screen is being used as a passive distraction or as an empowering cognitive tool.
Tune into our conversation to hear more insights from Dr. Lonka's 30+ years of research:
Education in the AI Era: Bridging the Divide Between School & the Real World
