Technologies · Foundation

Active learning ideas

Societal Impact of Digital Devices

Active learning turns abstract ideas about digital devices into concrete experiences students can see, touch, and discuss. Young learners grasp the societal impact of technology best when they sort real examples, act out scenarios, and create shared rules with their peers.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDIK03

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Small Groups

Sorting Activity: Helpful or Harmful Devices

Provide picture cards showing device uses, such as a child video calling grandma or staring at a screen all day. Students sort cards into 'helpful' or 'harmful' piles and explain choices to the group. Compile results into a class anchor chart.

Analyze the positive and negative impacts of widespread digital device use on society.

Facilitation Tip

During the Sorting Activity, circulate with a clipboard to note which examples spark the most debate and revisit them in the class discussion.

What to look for

Show students pictures of different digital devices in use (e.g., a child playing a game on a tablet, a parent video calling family, a person using a phone for directions). Ask: 'How does this device help this person? Could it also cause a problem? Why?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 25 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Safe Sharing Scenarios

Pairs act out one student sharing a drawing online while the other asks for permission or suggests keeping it private. Switch roles after 5 minutes. Debrief with whole class on feelings during the plays.

Evaluate the ethical considerations related to device usage, data collection, and privacy.

Facilitation Tip

For the Role-Play, assign small groups one scenario and a timer so every student has a turn to speak and to listen.

What to look for

Present students with simple scenarios on cards, such as 'Sharing your password with a friend' or 'Using a tablet to learn new words'. Ask students to hold up a green card for 'safe and good' or a red card for 'not safe or not good' and explain their choice.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Poster Creation: Our Device Rules

In small groups, students draw and label 3-4 rules for using devices safely, like 'Ask first before photos' or 'Play outside too'. Present posters to the class and vote on favorites.

Discuss the role of digital devices in various industries and daily life.

Facilitation Tip

When creating posters for Our Device Rules, provide large paper and markers ahead of time so students focus on content, not materials.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one way a digital device helps people and write one sentence about a time they should be careful when using a device.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 20 min · Whole Class

Device Impact Survey: Whole Class Poll

Ask yes/no questions like 'Does your phone help you talk to family?' Tally responses on a board. Discuss patterns, such as most agreeing devices help learning but harm playtime.

Analyze the positive and negative impacts of widespread digital device use on society.

Facilitation Tip

During the Device Impact Survey, invite students to stand under signs labeled ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ to visualize the whole class response quickly.

What to look for

Show students pictures of different digital devices in use (e.g., a child playing a game on a tablet, a parent video calling family, a person using a phone for directions). Ask: 'How does this device help this person? Could it also cause a problem? Why?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers succeed when they keep the language child-friendly and tie every activity to familiar settings like school or home. Avoid lectures on screen time limits; instead, let students discover the balance through sorting, acting, and drawing. Research shows that guided peer discussion builds lasting understanding better than isolated worksheets.

Students will confidently identify both helpful and harmful uses of digital devices, explain simple safety steps, and contribute to class rules that everyone can follow. Their work will show growing awareness of how devices affect health, relationships, and privacy.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sorting Activity: Helpful or Harmful Devices, some students may label all games as harmful.

  Use the sorting trays to group games separately and then discuss when games help learning versus when they replace outdoor play.

• During Role-Play: Safe Sharing Scenarios, students may think sharing a photo is always okay if the friend is trusted.

  Hand out scenario cards that include a trusted friend texting a photo to a stranger; pause after each role-play to ask how the sharer felt.

• During Poster Creation: Our Device Rules, students may believe only grown-ups create privacy rules.

  Provide sentence starters like ‘I can…’ and ‘I will…’ so students see themselves as rule-makers.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inside-Outside Circle