Chalk & Talk Why more classroom technology is making students learn less (Ep 62)
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Jan 9, 2026 
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a cognitive neuroscientist and bestselling author, shares insights on the pitfalls of classroom technology. He discusses how increased screen time correlates with declines in memory and attention scores among Gen Z. Jared emphasizes the importance of human teachers over technology for effective learning and warns of the dangers of multitasking. He suggests that the indiscriminate use of tech can stifle creativity and higher-order thinking, proposing that schools focus on strategies that prioritize human-centered education.
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Generation Z Cognitive Decline
- Gen Z shows declines across many cognitive measures compared with previous generations.
- The change is unlikely biological and correlates with rising tech exposure in schooling and daily life.
PISA Correlations With School Tech Use
- International assessments (PISA/TIMSS) repeatedly show students who use computers more in school score lower.
- Consistent correlations across years and countries point to technology as a likely contributing factor.
Effect Size Reality Check
- Meta-analyses show small positive average effect sizes for edtech, but education requires a higher baseline to claim real improvement.
- A 0.29 effect for edtech sits below the ~0.4 threshold researchers often use to call an intervention meaningfully beneficial.
