A turning tide

2024 was the year the tide turned against smartphones. Across the world, parents, teachers, and governments highlighted the risks of excessive phone use among young people. In the UK, the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’ movement emerged, quickly growing to 100,000 members who advocate for keeping smartphones away from children due to concerns about addiction, harmful content, and mental health. Jonathan Haidt’s global bestseller The Anxious Generation has further fuelled the movement, linking smartphone use to adolescent mental health issues and recommending phonefree schools. Meanwhile, countries including England, France, and Finland have urged schools to adopt strict phone bans, hoping to reduce classroom distractions and enhance student safety.

Despite widespread support, academic research on phone bans remains limited and inconclusive. Given this situation, computing educators are uniquely positioned to offer an alternative approach.

Evaluating evidence on phone bans 

The rapid spread of school smartphone bans is a straightforward response to complex issues around personal technology use in education. Teachers and parents frequently view phones as inherently disruptive, a perspective supported by studies that show phones can impair students’ focus and engagement in lessons. Concerns about cyberbullying and addiction contribute to this view, with many educators seeing bans as a practical solution to mitigate risks. Surveys in England reveal that nearly half of all secondary schools now enforce all-day bans. This trend was supported by teachers participating in my master’s degree research, who see these policies as necessary to reduce distractions and maintain control in the classroom. 

“Calls for outright bans may oversimplify the conversation.”

Yet calls for outright bans may oversimplify the conversation, limiting opportunities to examine both the benefits and the risks of smartphone use in schools. Evidence on the impact of phone restrictions is mixed: while some studies suggest restrictions may benefit learning, especially for students who struggle the most, others indicate no significant impact on academic outcomes. Additionally, recent findings show that cyberbullying is not directly linked to time spent online, with traditional bullying still more prevalent in schools. Even the narrative around smartphone addiction is contested, with some researchers suggesting that concerns about addiction may be overstated. And some schools do not have access to digital devices for learners and then smartphones may play a crucial role in teaching and learning digital literacy skills.

As the debate over smartphone bans continues, educators have an opportunity to move beyond restrictions and engage students in understanding the technology that shapes their lives. This is where computing educators can really make a difference. How can they guide students to understand why technology is designed to capture attention and what lies behind these design choices?

Understanding and questioning the design of technology 

School smartphone bans can feel like a hopeless act that suggests phones and social media are inherently incompatible with learning and student well-being. This approach assumes the only solution is to remove them, rather than considering how these technologies might be better managed or reimagined to support young people. What if, instead of banning phones, educators worked with students to explore why they are so captivating and how they could be designed differently? Computing educators can lead this exploration. With digital literacy as part of their curriculum, computing teachers can help students question the motives behind their devices, fostering a critical understanding of the forces shaping their digital world.

“With digital literacy as part of their curriculum, computing teachers can help students question the motives behind their devices, fostering a critical understanding of the forces shaping their digital world.”

At the heart of how social media platforms are designed is their business models. Tech companies rely on features such as notifications, autoplay, and infinite scrolling to maximise user engagement and revenue. This is part of what the writer Shoshana Zuboff calls “surveillance capitalism”, where companies gather vast amounts of behavioural data by keeping users engaged on their platforms for as long as possible.

In the classroom, educators can open discussions with students on the motives behind technology design, exploring questions such as why platforms want users to stay engaged, and what data they are collecting. Activities might include analysing popular apps to identify which features encourage prolonged use, or debating how social media could be designed to prioritise user wellbeing. By critically examining these design choices, students can better understand the forces driving their digital interactions and consider ways in which technology could be reimagined to serve them, rather than just profiting from them. 

Collaborative policymaking 

Once young people understand why phones and social media are designed the way they are, educators can work with students to create phone policies that reflect shared values and goals. This collaborative approach encourages students to take ownership of their technology use, and computing teachers, drawing on their knowledge of technology design and digital literacy, are ideally positioned to facilitate these discussions.

Research suggests that policies developed with student input are more effective, as they foster responsibility and engagement. By involving students in policymaking, educators can encourage them to consider how phones could support rather than hinder learning. For example, students might agree that phones should stay off during certain times, or in certain spaces, but that they might be useful in other scenarios where access benefits learning. This kind of flexibility ensures that phones are used thoughtfully, allowing for both practical boundaries and opportunities for educational use.

Critical skills for navigating the digital world

As debate around smartphone use in schools continues, academic research remains inconclusive on the effectiveness of phone bans. This uncertainty presents computing educators with an opportunity to move beyond restrictive policies and foster deeper understanding. By guiding students to explore why phones and social media are designed to capture attention, we can help to equip them with the critical skills needed to navigate their digital world thoughtfully. Involving students in crafting flexible, meaningful phone policies reinforces this understanding, giving them a sense of agency in shaping technology’s role in their lives.

Computing educators are uniquely positioned to empower students, not just as users, but as active challengers of technology design norms. Embracing a collaborative approach allows computing educators to inspire students to envision a future where technology genuinely serves their growth and their learning, rather than commercial interests.

More on digital literacy for young people

A version of this article appears in the newest issue of Hello World magazine, which is all about teaching digital literacy. Explore issue 26 and download your free PDF copy today.

You can also listen to our recent Hello World podcast episode discussing the myth of the ‘digital native’ and whether today’s young people are tech-savvy or tech-dependent.

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It must be frustrating for teachers in this situation to see marketing campaigns from companies showing how their curriculum offering will use the very latest in robotics, AI, or media production, when the teachers’ reality is that they don’t have anything like the means or resources to deliver this. 

Fortunately there are approaches that can help. Below I outline some of the ways we are working with teachers to make the teaching of computing and digital literacy less resource-heavy and more accessible and equitable. 

Schools in Kenya: A case study 

Our work with Kenyan teachers has brought the access issue into sharp focus for us. We are currently developing free resources to deliver the Kenyan curriculum to schools in Mombasa and the Frontier Counties. There are big contrasts both between and within these two areas of the country. Some schools are well equipped with digital technology, while others have very little access to any computing devices; in these schools, smartphones play a crucial role.

With that in mind, the curriculum resources we develop suggest class activities that make the most of limited devices, such as the use of projected demonstrations. We also provide a step-by-step guide to computing tasks, with screenshots, to guide learners through the tasks conceptually. This ensures learners understand the process and can apply their new knowledge once they gain access to the necessary devices. 

We make these resources available online and in downloadable documents. This means the resources can be taken offline and taught in places without stable internet connection. We are also careful to limit file sizes, to make downloads more accessible. Wherever possible, our resources are device-agnostic, so that they can be accessed on a wide range of devices, including personal devices such as mobile phones.

As well as tailoring curriculum resources, we have also adapted our teacher training to make it more accessible for people with less experience of using computing devices. For example, during a recent project coaching community trainers in Mombasa, we emphasised activities that improve digital skills on various devices. This meant that when passing the training on to other teachers, the community trainers had a broader set of skills across a wider range of devices.

Unplugged activities

Even computing-specific concepts such as a programming construct can, to a degree, be taught with very limited access to devices. Unplugged activities, where no digital technology is required, can be used to introduce fundamental concepts such as sequencing and repetition.

For example, you can ask learners to recognise patterns in repeating sequences of colours and identify how to describe the sequences without repeating the colours many times. While it is good practice to link the learning from an unplugged activity back to a plugged activity, students will still benefit when that is not possible. 

Emulators 

There are also a significant number of devices which offer online emulator apps that mirror the functions of the physical device. Consider Bee-Bot floor robots, which can be relatively expensive to purchase and may get damaged in a classroom. If you don’t have the physical device, its emulator app provides a similar experience.

Similarly, the micro:bit, a versatile microcontroller for young people, can be emulated in the MakeCode programming environment, including all its buttons and sensors. There are also numerous emulators which enable you to make and test your own circuits using a variety of hardware platforms. 

What do you actually need? 

Sometimes it can be helpful to look up what devices you actually need — they might not be as expensive as you think. General-purpose, single-board computers such as Raspberry Pi can be bought new for less than £25, and more powerful models still under £50.

Similarly, microcontrollers such as Raspberry Pi Pico, micro:bit, or Crumble, range from about £5 to £20 per device. Accessories such as LEDs, jumper leads, motors, and buzzers are also reasonably priced. They can be a relatively low-cost entry into physical computing and robotics, especially if you pair them with craft materials or share devices between students.

Make the most of it 

However limited your access to devices is, I encourage you to:

• Look out for partners or solution providers that prioritise inclusivity and accessibility in their resources
• Consider whether you can make activities accessible on a wider range of devices and use what students may already have (check out the OctoStudio app for smartphones for example)
• Use unplugged activities, and relate them back to plugged devices when possible
• Look up devices which might be more affordable than you realised

If you have your own tips to share with fellow teachers, please comment below.

More on digital literacy

You can discover our free teacher training and classroom resources, and read about how we’ve integrated digital literacy in The Computing Curriculum.

A version of this article appears in the newest issue of Hello World magazine, which is all about digital literacy. Explore issue 26 and download your free PDF copy today.
You can also listen to our recent Hello World podcast episode exploring three teachers’ digital literacy tips for the classroom.

The post Teaching digital literacy without devices appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

In our latest podcast episode, we explore this crucial question: does growing up with technology automatically make someone digitally literate, or just digitally dependent?

Host James Robinson (Raspberry Pi Foundation) is joined by colleague Sway Grantham, Anna Lahtinen (Haaga-Helia University), and Nicole O’Connor (Digi Know This) to unpack the complexities of digital skills, access, and education, and to explore how the label of digital native can sometimes hide broader challenges.

This episode wraps up our three-part mini-series on digital literacy. Each episode builds on the conversations from the latest issue of Hello World magazine, offering expert insight and practical ideas from educators driving real change.

Who are the guests on the podcast, and what will I learn?

We’ve assembled a panel of expert guests to discuss and debate the concept of the digital native.

Anna is an internationally recognised scholar who specialises in the transformative effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on working life, businesses, and careers. In the latest issue of Hello World, Anna and her colleague Antonia O’Connell write about assumptions regarding high digital literacy among youth in the setting of a work environment.

In the podcast, Anna explains that the term ‘digital native’ can be useful for starting conversations about the skills, access, and confidence people need to navigate technology, particularly in the workplace. However, she warns that the term can be misleading, as it often assumes that young people have strong digital skills, when many struggle with the practical demands of using technology at work.

Anna also highlights the importance of supporting young people to use technology responsibly and develop a healthy relationship with it. As she puts it:

“If we instil the right values in students, that will eventually lead to a healthy relationship with technology and ethical use of new tools in both their work and their lives.”

Nicole O’Connor is a two-time female founder who brings her expertise to improving teaching and learning through innovative EdTech, digital literacy, and accessibility.

In the podcast, Nicole challenges the idea of the digital native, calling it both problematic and overly simplistic. She explains that the term overlooks important differences, like access, privilege, and levels of exposure to technology, which all shape a person’s digital skills. For Nicole, it’s a “grey area” that proves we can’t assume young people are automatically tech-savvy just because they grew up with devices.

Nicole sees digital literacy as a journey, not something people are born with. She compares it to learning a language: while young people may be familiar with technology, they still need to develop deeper skills to become critical thinkers, careful users, and aware of issues like data privacy and online safety. As she puts it:

“They might have had some exposure, but over time they need to learn the skills to be digitally literate… They’re not even close to that.”

Listen or watch now

To hear more, listen to or watch the full episode.

You can watch or listen to each episode of our podcast on YouTube, or listen via your preferred audio streaming service, whether that’s Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music. 

You’ve listened to the podcast, now subscribe to the magazine

We hope this episode, along with the others in the series, inspires you and helps you to engage your students more in computing. In the comments section below, we’d love to hear your thoughts and experience around digital literacy.

The latest issue of Hello World magazine features more insightful articles on digital literacy. Don’t miss out on this discussion — subscribe to Hello World today to ensure you never miss a podcast episode or issue of the magazine.

The post Should we ditch the term ‘digital native’? The latest conversation on the podcast appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

In the latest episode of the Hello World podcast, Rachel Arthur, Chief Learning Officer at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, is joined by Dr. Jessica Hamer from King’s College London and Becky Patel from Tech She Can. Together, they explore the current state of girls’ engagement in computing and what we can do to support change.

This episode is the second in our three-part mini series on digital literacy. Each episode continues the conversations featured in the latest issue of the Hello World magazine, offering expert perspectives and practical examples from educators making a difference.

What is the gender gap, and why is it a problem?

The gender gap in computing refers to the disparity between the proportion of female and male students who choose computing as a subject or career. This is problematic because:

• It reinforces harmful societal stereotypes that limit opportunities for girls
• It hinders economic growth and innovation
• It limits diversity in tech development, potentially leading to biased products, especially in artificial intelligence (AI)

Who are the guests on the podcast, and what will I learn?

To address these issues in detail, Rachel is joined by two guests who have dedicated years to understanding and addressing the gender gap. 

Dr. Jessica Hamer is a Research Associate at King’s College London. She transitioned to academic research after working for a decade as a science teacher in secondary education. With a focus on projects like the SCARI project, she investigates factors affecting girls’ performance and participation in secondary-level computing. Her work includes a key report published last year on this topic.

In the podcast, Dr. Hamer reveals concerning findings about stereotypes in computing and how early they form. She explains that beliefs portraying girls as less interested in computing emerge as early as ages five or six, which significantly hinders girls’ engagement and involvement in the field.

Further, when students were asked to name famous figures in computing, most cited white, male tech entrepreneurs who are frequently in the news. This revealed a limited view of the kinds of people involved in computing, as well as a narrow conception of tech careers, with roles in areas like climate change and social justice being overlooked. However, Jessica highlights a key insight: “We found that girls were three times more likely to suggest a female famous face”, emphasising the vital importance of female representation and the need for relatable role models.

Becky Patel is the Head of Education and Learning at Tech She Can, a UK charity focused on increasing women’s representation in technology. She has a decade of teaching experience in both primary and secondary education and now develops the ‘Tech WE Can’ educational resources, which aim to inspire all children, particularly girls, to pursue careers in technology.

In the podcast, Becky emphasises the importance of early intervention to address gender stereotypes. She advocates for introducing children to a wide range of STEM careers, and to do this not just in computing lessons but across the whole curriculum. 

Another key strategy Becky highlights is showing children that they can explore their hobbies and interests further through technology, even when at first glance it might seem that technology can’t play a role. She explains:

“There are so many tech roles which you can do working behind the scenes, training the athlete, helping them with health and physiotherapy, working on goal-line technology… There’s so many cool things and when you show children this, you see the attention. You see them sit up like, hold on, she’s talking about me and the thing I love. And she’s also talking about computing.” 

Listen or watch now

To hear more about how to empower girls into computing, listen to or watch the full episode. 

We hope this episode inspires you and helps you to engage your students more in computing. In the comments section below, we’d love to hear your thoughts, your feedback, and any of your own tips for empowering girls and young women.

Enjoy the conversation!

More to discover next week

Next week, in the final podcast in our mini series, we’ll be looking at the notion of the ‘digital native’. Are young people truly tech-savvy, or are they simply reliant on digital tools without understanding the underlying mechanics?

James Robinson, Senior Learning Manager at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, will be joined by fellow colleague Sway Gratham and two guest speakers, Anna Lahtinen from Haaga-Helia University and Nicole O’Connor from Digi Know This, as they debate the complexities of digital skills, access, and education. Discover how the label ‘digital native’ can mask crucial issues and learn what real digital literacy looks like today.

Subscribe to Hello World

You can watch, or listen, to each episode of our podcast on YouTube, or listen via your preferred audio streaming service, whether that’s Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music. 

Don’t miss out on this discussion — subscribe to Hello World today to ensure you never miss a podcast episode or issue of the magazine.

The post How can we empower girls in computing? An important conversation on the Hello World podcast appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Are you looking to strengthen digital literacy in your classroom? In the latest episode of the Hello World podcast, three experienced teachers from the USA and the UK share practical tips they’ve used in their classrooms to help their students build digital literacy. Whether you’re just getting started with digital literacy or looking for new ideas, the episode is full of real-world advice you can apply straight away.

The episode also marks the launch of a new mini-series on the Hello World podcast focusing on digital literacy. Throughout the series, which totals three episodes, we’ll continue conversations that feature in the latest issue of the Hello World magazine, sharing expert insights and real-world examples from educators who are integrating digital literacy into their classrooms.

So tune in this week, then stay tuned!

Who features in this episode, and what will I learn?

We’ve got tips from three teachers whose articles feature in Hello World’s newest magazine issue.

Katie Dahlman from Bloomington, MN, USA

Get ready for some top tips from Katie Dahlman, a preschool teacher and Digital Learning Specialist in Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota, USA. With over 16 years of experience as an early childhood educator, Katie has dedicated her time to developing engaging computer science (CS) lessons for young learners.

Katie believes that digital literacy starts with building foundational skills to prepare students for their roles as digital citizens. One of the tips Katie shares in the episode emphasises the importance of integrating computational thinking into the classroom: 

“My second tip for enhancing digital literacy in your classroom is to integrate computational thinking skills and vocabulary into your existing curriculum.”

Read Katie’s article ‘Tech tinkering and teamwork’ on pages 52–53 of Hello World, issue 26.

Curt Hitchens from Rock Spring, GA, USA

We also hear from Curt Hitchens, a computer science teacher at Saddle Ridge Elementary and Middle School in Rock Spring, Georgia, USA. Since 2018, Curt has been teaching computer science and now serves as a Virtual CS Specialist for the Georgia Department of Education.

Curt explains in the podcast that digital literacy is about equipping students with the necessary skills to use technology effectively in everyday situations and the workplace. He also shares an important tip for teachers, encouraging them to give students regular chances to engage in hands-on learning:

 “Make sure that you’re providing consistent opportunities for creation and exploration within your classes.”

Read Curt’s article ‘Computer science opportunities in rural schools’ on pages 46–47 of Issue 26.

Halima Bhayat, London, UK

The episode also features Halima Bhayat, the Head of Computing and Digital T Levels at Ursuline High School in London, UK. Halima is an Asian Women of Achievement 2021 Finalist, a digit<all> ambassador, an Amazon teacher, and the Computing at School Merton lead for all schools.

With a wealth of experience, she emphasises that digital literacy is more than about using technology — it’s about understanding how the digital world functions, how technology shapes our daily lives, and how it impacts individuals and communities.

One of Halima’s top tips for enhancing digital literacy in the classroom is to focus on touch typing. She believes that students should be equipped with fast and efficient typing skills, as so many tasks today are online.

“My first tip would be to get [your students] touch typing, get them to start becoming faster with their fingers on those keyboards, because lots of things have become online.”

Read Halima’s article ‘From switches to success’ on pages 76–77 of Issue 26.

Listen now

To hear more practical tips and discover what else our guest teachers have to say, listen to or watch the full episode here. 

We hope this episode inspires you and helps you to engage your students in computing. We’d love to hear your thoughts, your feedback, and any of your own tips on the topic of digital literacy in the comments section below.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

More to listen to next week

Next week, the podcast brings you an insightful conversation featuring Rachel Arthur, Chief Learning Officer at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Dr Jessica Hamer from King’s College London, and Becky Patel from Tech She Can.

They’ll discuss the current state of girls’ engagement in computing and explore ways to empower young women in computing at school, at university, and onwards into their careers.

You can watch, or listen, to each episode of our podcast on YouTube, or listen via your preferred audio streaming service, whether that’s Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music. 

Subscribe to Hello World today to ensure you never miss a podcast episode or issue of the magazine.

The post How to bring digital literacy into your classroom: practical tips from the Hello World podcast appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

In this issue of Hello World, out today for free, we discuss what digital literacy means, how it is taught in different countries around the world, and how educators are rethinking digital literacy for their students and themselves.

Digital literacy

As the use of digital technology grows, a broader view of digital literacy is necessary. Digital literacy is more than knowing how to use software. It’s the ability to use digital technologies effectively, safely, and responsibly.

In Issue 26 of Hello World, we explore this topic in detail and hear insights from educators across the world, including:

• Becci Peters shares how Computing at School (CAS) in the UK is supporting digital literacy skills for students and educators
• Sourav Pattanayak discusses how digital literacy is defined in India, and the formal and informal ways educators are teaching digital literacy
• Sandra Hartman explores strategies for enhancing digital literacy in the US
• Gavin Davenport asks what would happen if we considered digital literacy in the same way as we consider traditional literacy

This issue also includes inspiring articles from the world of computer science education:

• Leah Dungay tells us about a programme combining physics, video games, and the Large Hadron Collider to engage young people in particle physics 
• Gina Fugate shares how digital accessibility enhances digital experiences for all
• Halima Bhayat shares her inspiring journey in computer science

And there is lots more for you to discover in issue 26.

New podcast series in audio and video

We’re also pleased to announce that the Hello World podcast has returned alongside the magazine with a miniseries also focused on digital literacy.

We asked for your thoughts on the podcast in our previous annual survey, and you kindly sent us lots of helpful feedback. Based on that, we’re trialling new episode formats, welcoming additional hosts, and bringing in more expert voices from around the world.

On Tuesday 15 April we’ll be releasing our first teacher tips episode, a shorter podcast with 3 teachers sharing practical, actionable tips for improving digital literacy in the classroom. 

The week after, Tuesday 22 April, you’ll be able to hear a brilliant conversation between the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Chief Learning Officer, Rachel Arthur, and two special guests: Dr Jessica Hamer from King’s College London’s School of Education, Communication and Society, and Becky Patel from Tech She Can. They’ll be discussing the current state of girls’ engagement in computing — a wide-reaching and important conversation exploring how we can empower more girls in computing through school, university and their careers.

Then on Tuesday 29 April the final episode in the miniseries will be a panel debate about “digital natives” where we’ll be asking, ‘Are young people who grew up with technology around them truly tech-savvy, or are they dependent on digital tools without understanding how they work?’ James Robinson — Senior Learning Manager here at the Raspberry Pi Foundation and regular host of the podcast — will lead this discussion as global educators debate the myth of the “digital native,” uncover how it could overlook complex issues of access, skills, and education, and consider what it really takes to be tech-smart in the modern world.

More information and links to listen can be found inside the magazine.

Share your thoughts & subscribe to Hello World

We hope you enjoy this issue of Hello World, and please get in touch with your article ideas or what you would like to see in the magazine.

• Share your thoughts and ideas about Hello World and the new issue with us via the Raspberry PI Foundation social media channels
• Find out how you can write for the magazine

Subscribe to Hello World for free to never miss an issue.

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With the greater understanding we now have of technology and its impact, we can better learn from previous mistakes, make decisions around ethical behaviour (such as whether to use a phone while driving), and critically engage in real-world issues. 

As teachers, allocating some time to this topic throughout the year can seem challenging, but by implementing a few small changes, the benefits might be more than you imagine. Here are three ways you can help your students explore the impact of technology.

1. Change the format of your lessons by stepping away from devices 

As teachers know, some computing lessons work best when students don’t use devices, whether it’s a matter of students designing programs before starting to code them, drawing  maps of their school network, or discussing the implications of bias in AI training models. It’s important that learners recognise that computers are tools — sometimes they allow us to do and achieve great things, but sometimes there are other approaches that are more suitable. 

Spending time discussing the impact of technology can help learners decide for themselves when technology is an asset, and when it is a burden. Another advantage of changing the format of your computing lessons away from device usage is that they may appeal to a wider range of students. While some students may not be interested in using technology, they may enjoy debating ethics, discussing world events, or finding solutions to real-world problems — all of which can take centre stage in a more discussion-focused computing lesson.     

This approach can also demonstrate to your class that lots of different skill sets are needed in the computing industry, and inspire your learners to consider career paths they might have otherwise dismissed. In addition, open, discussion-based lessons can give your learners food for thought, encouraging them to approach tasks in subsequent lessons with a greater appreciation of broader issues — whether they’re designing a program, deciding what features to build into a website, or how to structure a database. 

2. Connect your lessons to real-world events

Young people exist in an interesting space when it comes to world events. Even if they’re not engaged in current affairs, they’ll probably still encounter a lot of content about what’s happening in the world. They may see snippets of news footage on television, hear adults talking about a big event, or — with so much of their lives now happening online — stumble across trending stories and associated opinions while using social media, apps, and websites.  

Young people will often try to make sense of all these bits of information, filling in the blanks. The problem is that if we don’t talk to young people about what they’re hearing, they may fill in the blanks incorrectly. Before you know it, they might be anxious that artificial intelligence will take over the world, or that adults hate TikTok for no reason. 

It’s important to equip young people with the skills to think about real-world events — and developments related to technology — critically and calmly. 

Headlines such as “Why the USA is banning TikTok” or self-help articles with titles like “Why muting people on social media will change your life” could make brilliant focus points for a lesson or activity about the impact of technology. Discussing these kinds of headlines and articles can help your learners consider their own opinions, apply what they know about how technology works, and gain a sense of grounding in our often turbulent world. 

By encouraging your learners to articulate what they know and apply it to real-world situations, you’ll enrich their computing education while also nurturing responsible digital citizens.  

3. Encourage students to have difficult conversations

The role of a computing teacher is often broad. Beyond curriculum and teaching responsibilities, it will usually involve providing tech support (changing ink in printers, for instance) and dealing with safeguarding incidents that have happened between pupils at the weekend. 

Safeguarding is a key part of teaching. Effective safeguarding should include teaching your learners about what to do in difficult scenarios, like when a WhatsApp group goes awry, when an image is shared on social media when it shouldn’t have been, or when a game becomes popular that your learners aren’t old enough to play. 

Each of these scenarios is an example of technology’s impact on our lives. It’s important that your learners know how to deal with these scenarios and can have different opinions while talking and listening to each other. Also, if your learners can do these things, it will make things easier in the future if you need to talk to a particular learner about something inappropriate they’ve done.  

By encouraging your learners to have difficult conversations, you’ll practise how to navigate the tension between legality, rules from home, and best-practice advice from external sources. You’ll also have lessons that you can refer back to: “Remember when we were discussing the TikTok ban? How might some of those conversations relate to this situation? What about when we discussed when to block people on games or on social media? Would that be appropriate here?” 

Raising awareness that the impact of technology can enrich lessons

Technology is going to continue to impact the lives of the pupils we work with, whether they can recognise that or not. Increasing their awareness of the impact technology is having, in both positive and negative ways, will enrich your lessons, show that content is relevant to your learners, and help protect them when they have to make their own critical decisions. 

There are suggestions in this article to use with learners of all ages, but if you want more support on how to teach the topic with older learners, we have an online course for educators (helloworld.cc/impactoftech) and a unit of work for 14-year-olds (helloworld.cc/ks4impact).

A version of this article also appears in Hello World issue 24.

The post Three ways to help students learn about the impact of technology appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

How our approach to translation considers design, process and people

English is seen by many as the language of computing, and in many countries, it’s also either the language of education or a language that young people aspire to learn. However, English is, in some instances, a barrier to learning: young people in many communities don’t have enough knowledge of English to use it to learn about digital technologies, or even if they do, the language of communication with other students, teachers, or volunteers may not be English.

In a world where browsers can instantly translate web pages and large language models can power seemingly perfect conversations in virtually any language, it’s easy to assume that translation just happens and that somehow, technology takes care of it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Technology is certainly crucial to translation, but there’s much more to it than that. Our approach to translation involves considering design, process, and people to ensure that localised materials truly help young people with their learning journey. 

Localisation or translation?

Localisation and translation are similar terms that are often used interchangeably. Localisation normally refers to adapting a product to suit a local market, whereas translation is a subset of localisation that involves changing the language of the text. For instance, localisation includes currencies, measurements, formatting dates and numbers, and contextual references. Meanwhile, translation involves only changing the language of the text, such as from English to French.

At the Raspberry Pi Foundation, we see translation as an enabler. It enables volunteers to reach learners, learners to succeed in their educational goals, and the Foundation to achieve its mission all over the world.

Four key ways the Foundation maximises the impact and reach of our translated materials

1. Create with localisation in mind

Regardless of whether learning materials are intended for English-speaking or global audiences, it’s important to create and design them with localisation in mind. That way, they can be used in a variety of places, and any piece of content (text, graphics, or illustrations) can be modified to meet the needs of the target audience. Keeping localisation in mind might include allowing space for text expansion, being mindful of any text embedded in graphic elements, and even making sure the context is understandable for a variety of audiences. Making a piece of content localisable at the creation stage is virtually cost-free. Modifying fully built assets to translate them or to use them in other markets can be expensive and extremely time-consuming!

2. Always have user needs and priorities upfront

Before investing in localising or translating any materials, we seek to understand the needs and priorities of our users. In many countries where English is not the usual language of communication, materials in English are a barrier, even if some of the users have a working knowledge of English. Making materials available in local languages directly results in additional reach and enhanced learning outcomes. In other communities where English has a certain status, a more selective approach may be more appropriate. A full translation may not be expected, but translating or adapting elements within them, such as introductions, videos, infographics, or glossaries, can help engage new learners.

3. Maximise the use of technology

While it’s possible to translate with pen and paper, translation is only scalable with the use of technology. Computer-assisted translation tools, translation memories, terminology databases, machine translation, large language models, and so on are all technologies that play their part in making the translation process more efficient and scalable. 

At the Foundation, we make use of a variety of translation technologies and also, crucially, work very closely with our content and development teams to integrate their tools and processes into the overall localisation workflow. 

4. Take great care of the people

Even with the best technology and the smoothest integrations, there is a human element that is absolutely essential. Our amazing community of volunteers and partners work very closely with learners in their communities. They understand the needs of those learners and have a wealth of information and insights. We work with them to prioritise, translate, review and test the learning materials. They are key to ensuring that our learning materials help our users reach their learning goals.

In summary

Thinking about localisation from the moment we start creating learning materials, understanding the needs of users when creating our end goals, maximising the use of technology, and taking good care of our people and partners are the key principles that drive our translation effort. 

If you’d like to find out more about translation at the Raspberry Pi Foundation or would like to contribute to the translation of our learning materials, feel free to contact us at translation@raspberrypi.org.  

A version of this article also appears in Hello World issue 23.

The post Translating educational content: four key principles appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

That’s where the OCEAN prompting process comes in: it’s a straightforward framework designed to work with any LLM, helping you reliably get the results you want. 

The great thing about the OCEAN process is that it takes the guesswork out of using LLMs. It helps you move past that ‘blank page syndrome’ — that moment when you can ask the model anything but aren’t sure where to start. By focusing on clear objectives and guiding the model with the right context, you can generate content that is spot on for your needs, every single time.

5 ways to make LLMs work for you using the OCEAN prompting process

OCEAN’s name is an acronym: objective, context, examples, assess, negotiate — so let’s begin at the top.

1. Define your objective

Think of this as setting a clear goal for your interaction with the LLM. A well-defined objective ensures that the responses you get are focused and relevant.

Maybe you need to:

• Draft an email to parents about an upcoming school event
• Create a beginner’s guide for a new Scratch project
• Come up with engaging quiz questions for your next science lesson

By knowing exactly what you want, you can give the LLM clear directions to follow, turning a broad idea into a focused task.

2. Provide some context 

This is where you give the LLM the background information it needs to deliver the right kind of response. Think of it as setting the scene and providing some of the important information about why, and for whom, you are making the document.

You might include:

• The length of the document you need
• Who your audience is — their age, profession, or interests
• The tone and style you’re after, whether that’s formal, informal, or somewhere in between

All of this helps the LLM include the bigger picture in its analysis and tailor its responses to suit your needs.

3. Include examples

By showing the LLM what you’re aiming for, you make it easier for the model to deliver the kind of output you want. This is called one-shot, few-shot, or many-shot prompting, depending on how many examples you provide.

You can:

• Include URL links 
• Upload documents and images (some LLMs don’t have this feature)
• Copy and paste other text examples into your prompt

Without any examples at all (zero-shot prompting), you’ll still get a response, but it might not be exactly what you had in mind. Providing examples is like giving a recipe to follow that includes pictures of the desired result, rather than just vague instructions — it helps to ensure the final product comes out the way you want it.

4. Assess the LLM’s response

This is where you check whether what you’ve got aligns with your original goal and meets your standards.

Keep an eye out for:

• Hallucinations: incorrect information that’s presented as fact
• Misunderstandings: did the LLM interpret your request correctly?
• Bias: make sure the output is fair and aligned with diversity and inclusion principles

A good assessment ensures that the LLM’s response is accurate and useful. Remember, LLMs don’t make decisions — they just follow instructions, so it’s up to you to guide them. This brings us neatly to the next step: negotiate the results.

5. Negotiate the results

If the first response isn’t quite right, don’t worry — that’s where negotiation comes in. You should give the LLM frank and clear feedback and tweak the output until it’s just right. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t have any feelings to be hurt!) 

When you negotiate, tell the LLM if it made any mistakes, and what you did and didn’t like in the output. Tell it to ‘Add a bit at the end about …’ or ‘Stop using the word “delve” all the time!’ 

How to get the tone of the document just right

Another excellent tip is to use descriptors for the desired tone of the document in your negotiations with the LLM, such as, ‘Make that output slightly more casual.’

In this way, you can guide the LLM to be:

• Approachable: the language will be warm and friendly, making the content welcoming and easy to understand
• Casual: expect laid-back, informal language that feels more like a chat than a formal document
• Concise: the response will be brief and straight to the point, cutting out any fluff and focusing on the essentials
• Conversational: the tone will be natural and relaxed, as if you’re having a friendly conversation
• Educational: the language will be clear and instructive, with step-by-step explanations and helpful details
• Formal: the response will be polished and professional, using structured language and avoiding slang
• Professional: the tone will be business-like and precise, with industry-specific terms and a focus on clarity

Remember: LLMs have no idea what their output says or means; they are literally just very powerful autocomplete tools, just like those in text messaging apps. It’s up to you, the human, to make sure they are on the right track. 

Don’t forget the human edit 

Even after you’ve refined the LLM’s response, it’s important to do a final human edit. This is your chance to make sure everything’s perfect, checking for accuracy, clarity, and anything the LLM might have missed. LLMs are great tools, but they don’t catch everything, so your final touch ensures the content is just right.

At a certain point it’s also simpler and less time-consuming for you to alter individual words in the output, or use your unique expertise to massage the language for just the right tone and clarity, than going back to the LLM for a further iteration. 

Ready to dive in? 

Now it’s time to put the OCEAN process into action! Log in to your preferred LLM platform, take a simple prompt you’ve used before, and see how the process improves the output. Then share your findings with your colleagues. This hands-on approach will help you see the difference the OCEAN method can make!

Sign up for a free account at one of these platforms:

• ChatGPT (chat.openai.com)
• Gemini (gemini.google.com)

By embracing the OCEAN prompting process, you can quickly and easily make LLMs a valuable part of your teaching toolkit. The process helps you get the most out of these powerful tools, while keeping things ethical, fair, and effective.

If you’re excited about using AI in your classroom preparation, and want to build more confidence in integrating it responsibly, we’ve got great news for you. You can sign up for our totally free online course on edX called ‘Teach Teens Computing: Understanding AI for Educators’ (helloworld.cc/ai-for-educators). In this course, you’ll learn all about the OCEAN process and how to better integrate generative AI into your teaching practice. It’s a fantastic way to ensure you’re using these technologies responsibly and ethically while making the most of what they have to offer. Join us and take your AI skills to the next level!

A version of this article also appears in Hello World issue 25.

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Two years later, the one thing most people agree on is that, like it or not, generative AI is here to stay. And as a computing educator, you probably have your learners and colleagues looking to you for guidance about this technology. We’re sharing how educators like you are approaching generative AI in issue 25 of Hello World, out today for free.

Generative AI and teaching

Since our ‘Teaching and AI’ issue a year ago, educators have been making strides grappling with generative AI’s place in their classroom, and with the potential risks to young people. In this issue, you’ll hear from a wide range of educators who are approaching this technology in different ways. 

For example:

• Laura Ventura from Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) in Georgia, USA shares how the GCPS team has integrated AI throughout their K–12 curriculum
• Mark Calleja from our team guides you through using the OCEAN prompt process to reliably get the results you want from an LLM 
• Kip Glazer, principal at Mountain View High School in California, USA shares a framework for AI implementation aimed at school leaders
• Stefan Seegerer, a researcher and educator in Germany, discusses why unplugged activities help us focus on what’s really important in teaching about AI

This issue also includes practical solutions to problems that are unique to computer science educators:

• Graham Hastings in the UK shares his solution to tricky crocodile clips when working with micro:bits
• Riyad Dhuny shares his case study of home-hosting a learning management system with his students in Mauritius

And there is lots more for you to discover in issue 25.

Whether or not you use generative AI as part of your teaching practice, it’s important for you to be aware of AI technologies and how your young people may be interacting with it. In his article “A problem-first approach to the development of AI systems”, Ben Garside from our team affirms that:

“A big part of our job as educators is to help young people navigate the changing world and prepare them for their futures, and education has an essential role to play in helping people understand AI technologies so that they can avoid the dangers.

Our approach at the Raspberry Pi Foundation is not to focus purely on the threats and dangers, but to teach young people to be critical users of technologies and not passive consumers. […]

Our call to action to educators, carers, and parents is to have conversations with your young people about generative AI. Get to know their opinions on it and how they view its role in their lives, and help them to become critical thinkers when interacting with technology.”

Share your thoughts & subscribe to Hello World

Computing teachers are being asked again to teach something that they didn’t study. With generative AI as with all things computing, we want to support your teaching and share your successes. We hope you enjoy this issue of Hello World, and please get in touch with your article ideas or what you would like to see in the magazine.

• Share your thoughts and ideas about Hello World and the new issue with us on social media by tagging the Hello World Twitter/X or Facebook accounts
• Find out how you can write for the magazine
• Subscribe to Hello World for free to never miss an issue

We’d like to thank Oracle for supporting this issue.

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