Digital Technologies Education: Big Impact, Big Needs
Tech skills are a must-have for the next generation.
The field of digital technologies holds numerous possibilities for tamariki and rangatahi to learn, grow, connect, and earn. With the right tools and the right education, there are paths available to them that didn’t exist even a decade ago.
In this increasingly digital world, digital skills have an ever-growing impact on someone’s future. Imagine: a student is given a laptop which allows them to fully participate in their classes and homework, creating a passion for technology. A job seeker takes a course that equips them to make a killer CV and opens up their access to online applications, greatly improving their chances of success. A disabled person feeling isolated is given the means and skill to access online forums and create social connections from their home.
The transformative potential of digital technologies is clear. In turn, this highlights the importance of digital equity: ensuring that all New Zealanders have the devices and knowledge they need to access the digital world.
What’s the current state of digital technologies education in New Zealand? What work is being done to unlock opportunities for all? We’re diving in!
Digital Technologies in the New Zealand Curriculum
The Digital Technologies learning area, also known in kura as Hangarau Matihiko, has been recently revised and is solidifying its place in classrooms across Aotearoa. It has two strands to it, which are woven throughout all subject areas: computational thinking and designing and developing digital outcomes.
This learning area has been created and implemented (the roll-out was somewhat delayed by a certain global pandemic) with the intention of developing understanding and capability of digital technologies, equipping students for the digital world. The aim is to see young people become designers, not just users, of technology.
It’s great to see that the curriculum is moving digital technologies from an “add-on” to something woven throughout all aspects of learning. The rise of “BYOD” or “bring your own device” policies also contributes to tech-savviness in tamariki.
However, there are challenges faced by educators across Aotearoa:
The ever-present issue of digital equity. Students without access to devices are limited in their ability to complete coursework as the curriculum becomes more digitally focused. Some also have trouble accessing the internet at home, which affects homework and study.
The capability of teachers to effectively implement the digital technologies strands in their lessons. This ERO report outlines the successes and challenges various schools have experienced while rolling out the new learning area.
The confidence of teachers when it comes to digital technologies, which often comes back to change management and leadership in the school.
As kinks are worked through, there may be gaps in digital education for tamariki and rangatahi. This can also create a noticeable disparity in the quality of digital education for different people, depending on the school they attended.
Digital Technologies: Equipping our People for the Future
A solid foundation of digital technology education will simply open up doors. When mapping out a future career path, a young person with the skills and equipment to fully access the digital world will have a clear advantage:
Many job applications are online; navigating the job seeking process often requires basic computing skills.
Most businesses, from trades to tech, use software and devices as part of their everyday operations: job management software, Xero, CMS systems, and more. There are few roles that won’t require some digital literacy.
Remote jobs open up a huge new pool of opportunities that are unavailable to those without the connection or capability to access the internet and interact easily online.
The tech sector is a fast-growing mammoth, with myriad career paths available and so many options for New Zealanders who are equipped to take advantage of them.
To quantify that last point, we took a look at some numbers from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment. They estimated that the digital technologies sector contributed $7 billion towards New Zealand’s GDP in 2021, with an annual growth rate of 10.4% since 2016.
“Digital technology exports have limited reliance on natural resources and typically do not need physical transportation. This can lead to more sustainable growth opportunities. Additionally, the digital technologies sector also supports other sectors to be more productive, and more broadly, supports New Zealand’s transition to a high wage, lower emissions economy.”
Addressing the Gaps
MBIE identifies several focus areas for the sector, which provide us a good indication of where future opportunities may lie. Of particular note is their focus on enhancing the skills and talent pipeline in general and also enriching Māori inclusion and enterprise. Boosting the digital education for the next generation’s tech sector professionals is a goal held by many organisations at all levels!
This 2023 presentation by NZ Tech highlighted some demographic inequality in the tech sector: 4.8% of the digital technology workforce are Māori, and 4.4% were Pasifika. In 2021, only 29% of the sector’s workforce was female. Encouragingly, there are 72 significant Māori-owned companies in the sector and this number is well-placed to grow. Auckland holds 52% of the tech workforce, with 14.1% in Wellington and 13.2% in Canterbury—demonstrating the need for opportunity in more rural areas.
Looking to the future with DFA
DFA, along with a range of other government and nonprofit organisations, is working at a grassroots level to address these and other gaps. A large part of the mahi to be done here is addressing gaps before they widen: making sure that tamariki are equipped with the devices, knowledge, and opportunities early on.
With RAD providing laptops and electronic repair skills, Code Club teaching coding skills, Digital Pīkau offering free resources, and Ōtautahi Outreach working with teachers to help them implement the Digital Technologies/Hangarau Matihiko learning area, we are making progress towards digital literacy for all in Aotearoa. We are privileged to work alongside other organisations with similar goals (check out how we collaborate with the wonderful TechMate team!).
While we’ve got numbers to demonstrate the impact of our mahi, it’s the individual stories that really show what’s being achieved.
“I did not have a laptop before this so was worried about being able to keep up with course work.” - Mechatronics Engineering student who received a RAD laptop
“I was displaced from my country of origin and granted refugee status in NZ in 2022. I am studying for the first time at Ara. This device will help me in my studies” - Refugee laptop recipient
“You can explore, learn and we can widen our brain power to solve problems” - Cortana, age 13
“I felt brave enough to try to teach DT on my own” - Year 3 kaiako (teacher)
To fail to equip the next generation with digital technology skills is to do them a disservice. In this world where so much learning, socialising, working, and other aspects of life take place online—and where the growing tech sector presents myriad opportunities—they will be at a disadvantage without the knowledge of how to participate.
Schools in Aotearoa, with the new DT curriculum, are helping to create a foundation. They can’t do it alone! Digital Future Aotearoa, and many other wonderful organisations across the motu, are helping to fill the gaps and ensure that tamariki and rangatahi are given the skills and equipment they need to access digital technologies education and unlock the possibilities it offers.
Want to be part of the movement? Get in touch with our team or find out more here about how you can support our various digital equity initiatives.
A big thanks to Brightly who support our mahi so doors can be unlocked in tech for young people.