PETALING JAYA: The learning methods of yesteryear are better for training the brain to retain information, think critically and build confidence, says a child psychology expert.
Despite the flak against learning methods such as memorising and practising mathematics drills, research has shown that they can improve cognitive endurance and academic confidence, said Assoc Prof Dr Saeid Motevalli from the UCSI University Department of Psychology.
“Reading, doing things by hand, recalling things from memory, and practising with drills increase cognitive growth, retention, and other talents.
“These approaches help children manage, endure, and connect, which are crucial for school and life,” he said in an interview.
Saeid was commenting on initiatives to bring back textbooks and reduce digital device usage in countries such Sweden and Norway.
Both countries, which had once allocated a big portion of their education budgets to equip classrooms with technology, have now made a U-turn and are returning to textbooks to arrest declining academic performance.
Saeid said repetitive learning methods make thinking and connecting thoughts “automatic”, allowing students to finish a task quickly without straining their working memory.
He pointed out that an overreliance on digital learning may cause schools to lose essential abilities like handwriting and mental calculation – skills that are necessary for brain growth.
Saeid acknowledged that digital tools have numerous benefits but overusing them may still hinder mental skill development.
“Overusing digital items may also impair self-control and metacognition,” he said.
“To teach effectively, we need a combination of technology and basic abilities.”
Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation Digital Learning Hub senior lecturer and programme manager Jonathan JS Kovilpillai said digital tools became popular in classrooms due to “an inbuilt cultural belief that anything to do with technology is better, even if the science is not evident”.
He said there should be a minimum age to use technology as a learning tool, ideally not below the age of seven.
