Digital learning tools and excessive screen-based instruction are hurting academic outcomes, and Canadian schools should return to more textbook-based learning, according to a new report from the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy.
In the report, “Children and Screens: It Is Time to Bring Back the Textbook,” author and Aristotle senior fellow Paul Bennett concludes that, after years of schools investing heavily in digital learning tools, there is little convincing evidence that the shift has improved learning outcomes.
“Paper has largely disappeared, and traditional textbooks have been pushed to the margins or replaced entirely by digital platforms,” Bennett writes in the report, which was released Aug. 20.
“Yet, for the first time, a broad-based disenchantment with edtech is taking hold,” he said. “Classroom teachers, researchers, and policymakers are beginning to question the wisdom of paperless schools and the heavy dependence on screens.”
In addition to his senior role at the Aristotle Foundation, Bennett also serves as director of the Halifax-based Schoolhouse Institute, an independent education research organization.
His report cites a growing body of research showing that students are more easily distracted when learning on screens and tend to retain information better when reading from textbooks.
‘Skim and Scan’
Bennett notes that Canadian schools have spent billions of dollars over the past decade and a half on laptops, tablets, and mobile learning apps, making them a regular part of classroom instruction. He says a growing number of researchers, educators, and policymakers are now questioning whether this shift has actually improved student learning outcomes.
“Despite the billions spent, there is little convincing evidence that digital tools have improved student achievement. In fact, there appears to be a negative relationship,” he writes.
Bennett cites research by San Jose State University professor Ziming Liu showing that students are more likely to “skim and scan” when reading from screens. He also cites research published in the International Journal of Educational Research, which found that students have greater difficulty remembering and understanding information when reading from screens than when reading from textbooks.
In addition to retention challenges, Bennett’s paper cites research in a 2026 Education Next analysis by Meredith Coffey showing that students who use computers and digital devices in lessons are also often distracted by social media, messaging, and access to non-educational websites.
“In such an environment, meaningful learning becomes the exception rather than the rule,” Bennett writes, citing research by British educators that found that students working online during lessons can spend up to 39 minutes of each hour on activities unrelated to their coursework.
Test Performance
The report also cites research suggesting that taking tests digitally can negatively affect student performance. One study involving 6,000 students in Sweden, Ireland, and Germany found that students who completed tests on computers performed worse than those who took the same tests on paper, although the study did not specify the size of the performance gap.
The Aristotle report notes that some of the highest performance educational systems in the world including South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, have continued using textbooks instead of fully switching over to digital learning.
Bennett also cites Sweden as a case study, noting that the country began shifting back toward printed textbooks and other analogue learning materials in 2023, amid concerns about the effects of extensive digitalization on reading and literacy.
Digital Tools
Bennett argues that digital tools and devices can have a place in the classroom, but their use should be limited rather than becoming the primary method of instruction.
“Screen-based modes of delivery capture attention and can heighten engagement, when utilized properly for short periods of time,” he writes.
While Bennett does not argue that screen-based learning is entirely harmful, he calls for a greater return to textbooks, which he says can present information more coherently, reduce opportunities for distraction, and improve students’ attention and retention of knowledge.
He also highlights several practical advantages of textbooks, including that they do not experience technical problems, require software updates, or need to be charged.
Bennett acknowledges that shifting back toward textbooks could be difficult, given the significant investments Canadian schools have made in digital learning and the growing emphasis on technology in the classroom. He also notes that the availability of affordable textbooks has declined.
Despite these challenges, Bennett urges Canadian schools to reconsider their heavy reliance on digital learning and “bring back the textbook.”
“Screens and overdependence on edtech are causing harm to the current generation of students,” he concludes. “Leading educators in Sweden and the U.K. are right: It is time to bring back the textbook.”
