Do you remember the sound of the overhead projector being wheeled into your classroom? Well, some children in school these days have no idea what one is!
Most UK schoolchildren cannot identify common classroom items from just a generation ago, highlighting the rapid pace of technological change in education.
The study, by award-winning tuition service Explore Learning, presented 10-year-olds with images of once-common school items, including a floppy disk, and an overhead projector. The results? Let’s just say these kids might need a history lesson!
Shockingly, over two thirds (68%) of surveyed 10-year-old children can’t name an overhead projector, with an even higher (72%) unaware of its purpose. Floppy disks prove equally mystifying, with 61% of children unable to identify them.
When asked to guess the items’ names and functions, children’s responses ranged from amusing to bizarre:
The floppy disk was called a “computer old thing”, with other children misidentifying it as “a game”.
The overhead projector was called an “eye machine”, “a sink” and “walkie talkie”.
Children guessed an overhead projector might be used “at the dentist” or “for experimenting”.
The survey asked the children to identify the age of the items, revealing some amusing misconceptions about these ‘ancient’ technologies. 3% of schoolchildren today believe floppy disks pre-date sliced bread (guessing 100 years old – sliced bread was first sold in 1928!).
The video interviews revealed just how mystifying these once-common items are to today’s tech-savvy kids. When presented with a floppy disk, guesses ranged from “a calculator” to “a Nintendo thing.” One child, faced with an old PC, described it as “kind of like a motherboard.” Perhaps most amusingly, the once-familiar screech of a dial-up internet connection left children bewildered. “It sounds like a computer virus ‘cos it’s having multiple glitches in the sound,” one child observed.
The overhead projector proved equally perplexing. “Maybe it takes a picture?” one child wondered, while another confidently declared, “It’s kind of like an old whiteboard.” When asked about its age, one child estimated it to be a century old – a far cry from its actual classroom heyday in the 1960s.
The generation gap was even clearer when it came to music. One astute observer summed up the rapid pace of technological change, remarking on the inconvenience of older devices: “Imagine if you had this ‘boombox’ and you were just carrying it around all day listening to music! That would be, like… harder! When asked how it differed from modern music devices, a child noted matter-of-factly, “This is oval.” Another child, highlighting the contrast with today’s voice-activated technology, instinctively called out to the old radio, “Hey Google, play Roar by Katy Perry.”
Amandeep Sanghera, Head of Maths & English at Explore Learning, comments,
“Our ‘Back to School Rewind’ survey has uncovered a fascinating – and often hilarious – generational gap. It’s remarkable to see just how quickly classroom technology evolves. Items that were everyday essentials for parents have become mysterious relics to their children in just two or three decades.
“This old-school tech might be gathering dust in the cupboard now, but it really shows how quickly things can change in our classrooms. It’s not just chalk and slate that baffle today’s tech-savvy kids – even the humble overhead projector is now a puzzling artefact from the past! While it’s amusing to see children puzzle over these outdated technologies, it’s also a reminder of the incredible opportunities modern tech offers in classrooms. At Explore Learning, we’re at the forefront of blending traditional teaching methods with cutting-edge technology.”
To learn more about the Back to School Rewind campaign and how Explore Learning is supporting children’s learning in the digital age, visit: https://www.explorelearning.co.uk/free-resources/back-to-school-rewind-study/.
