Sorø school tracks pupils’ screens to keep them focused

A school in Sorø is using software that lets teachers monitor pupils’ computer screens, a measure some pupils say helps them concentrate and learn more, DR reports.

Borgerskolen has installed two programs, LanSchool and Netsweeper, on its school computers. They block distracting content and allow teachers to see what is happening on every computer in the classroom, says teacher Rasmus Thomsen.

“It means I can be sure they are on the things they are supposed to be on,” says Thomsen, who teaches history. The school has been mobile-free for several years, but he says pupils still sometimes turned to games or other activities on their computers during lessons. They would close them when he approached, he says.

Andreas Lieberoth, an associate professor of educational psychology at Aarhus University, says the programs can help teachers notice when pupils lose focus. He also says pupils can benefit from knowing that adults are paying attention. But he warns that teachers should not monitor pupils constantly.

Headteacher Malene Härstedt says the school’s student council had concerns about surveillance. She describes the programs instead as a tool for managing the virtual classroom, saying they limit online distractions. She also says the school has a responsibility to help children growing up in a digital age.

Elias Sonne Lund, a Year 8 pupil, says it feels “a little uncomfortable” to know teachers can see his screen and close activities unrelated to lessons. But he also sees the point: “It’s easier for the teacher to know what we’re doing, and we learn more from it.”

Classmate Martha Mie Nielsen agrees that she learns more and finds it easier to concentrate when she is not tempted to play games. The programs are not necessarily active all the time, however. Pupils can tell when they are switched on, Elias says, adding that they can use their computers for other things when they are off.