Navigating Modern Education: Tools to Navigate Digital Challenges | Legacy Education Tools
The Legacy Talk by Legacy Education Tools Ltd raises awareness of the impact of social media, mobile phones and gaming on learning while promoting greater understanding of individual learning styles
Original article supplied by Legacy Education.
The Legacy Talk by Legacy Education Tools Ltd raises awareness of the impact of social media, mobile phones and gaming on learning while promoting greater understanding of individual learning styles
The founder of Legacy Education Tools Ltd, Dr Hayford Baah Tawiah (PhD), has launched an educational outreach programme christened ‘The Legacy Talk Series’, designed to help parents and young learners navigate the growing challenges associated with social media, mobile phones and online gaming, has called for greater collaboration between families, the church, educators and children in creating healthier digital habits.
The programme, which brought together parents and young learners from identified church groups for an interactive educational session, focused on the potential effects of excessive and inappropriate digital technology use on students' concentration, study habits, academic engagement, relationships and general wellbeing. Participants were also introduced to the importance of understanding individual learning preferences and how this awareness can support more effective learning and consequently produce excellent academic outcomes.
The first programme was held at Living Tower Ministries in Manor Park, East London on 14th June 2026. The Victory Bible Church International’s (VBCI) Gateway Sanctuary, located at Romford, also opened their doors to learn from the programme on 5th July 2026 and 2nd August 2026.
The initiative has been rated by leaders of the identified church groups and the participants as timely and extremely relevant, especially when digital technology has become an integral part of children's everyday lives.
“I think the church should feature this programme on a monthly basis” – Mr Andy Oyegoke (Founder-Symptom Spectrum Ltd and OurSkin Spectrum).
“This is really important education” – Reverend Gideon Ocansey (Associate Pastor, VBCI Gateway Sanctuary”
Smartphones, social media platforms, online games and other digital tools can provide valuable opportunities for learning, communication, creativity and entertainment. However, international organisations have also highlighted the need to protect children from online harms while ensuring that they can benefit from technology in safe and balanced ways. (UNICEF)
Raising Awareness among Parents
A central objective of the programme was to equip parents with practical knowledge to help them guide their children's use of digital technology.
Dr Hayford Tawiah encouraged parents to move beyond simply restricting access to phones and social media and instead develop open style conversations with children about responsible technology use. Parents were encouraged to understand the platforms their children use, establish reasonable boundaries, monitor online experiences appropriately and create opportunities for children to participate in non-digital activities. It was emphasised that effective digital parenting requires education and dialoguing with the children rather than fear. (UNICEF)
Practical measures such as establishing technology-free periods, particularly during school days, homework, meals and bedtime; encouraging outdoor activities and face-to-face interaction; discussing online safety; and helping children recognise inappropriate or harmful content were emphasized.
The programme also highlighted the importance of parents modelling responsible digital behaviour. Children are more likely to develop healthy technology habits when adults demonstrate balanced and purposeful use of digital devices themselves.
Understanding the Impact on Learning
The outreach sessions also examined the relationship between digital habits and students' academic lives.
Dr Tawiah explained that smartphones and social media can become distractions when notifications, short-form videos, online conversations and entertainment compete with study time. Social media platforms are often deliberately designed to maintain users' attention through features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, notifications and visible engagement indicators such as likes and views. (UNICEF)
The discussion therefore focused not simply on the amount of time children spend online, but also on what they are doing online, why they are doing it and whether digital activity is interfering with other important aspects of development.
Addressing Online Gaming
Online gaming was another important component of the discussion.
Games can provide opportunities for creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and social interaction. However, excessive gaming may compete with time needed for homework, sleep, physical activity, family interaction and other academic and developmental activities.
Participants were encouraged to help children establish clear gaming routines and understand the difference between recreational gaming and excessive use. Particular attention was drawn to using gaming as a reward for academic achievement or good behaviours.
UNICEF's recent work on online gaming emphasises that gaming environments can provide creativity, collaboration and community while also presenting risks that require appropriate safeguards. (UNICEF) In this light, the programme consequently encouraged parents to take active interest in the games their children play rather than viewing gaming simply as a form of entertainment. Parents were encouraged to understand game content, privacy settings, communication features and the potential risks associated with online interaction.
Helping Parents Understand Learning Styles
Beyond digital wellbeing, the outreach programme introduced parents and learners to the VARK model of learning preferences, which identifies four commonly discussed modalities: Visual, Aural, Read/Write and Kinesthetic.
The session explained that some learners may prefer information presented visually through diagrams, charts and demonstrations, while others may respond particularly well to discussion and verbal explanation. Some learners may prefer reading and writing, whereas others may benefit from practical activities and real-world experiences.
Understanding these preferences can help parents and teachers think more carefully about how children engage with learning.
For example, a child who struggles to remember information from a lengthy written explanation may benefit from a diagram or practical demonstration. Another child may understand a concept more readily after discussing it aloud, while a learner who prefers written information may benefit from reading, summarising and taking notes.
The programme nevertheless emphasised that learning preferences should not be used to place children into rigid categories. Instead, learners should be exposed to a variety of approaches and encouraged to develop flexibility in how they learn.
From Digital Distraction to Digital Responsibility
A key message emerging from the programme was that the solution to children's digital challenges cannot rest entirely with schools or parents.
Children themselves need to develop the knowledge and skills required to make responsible decisions in digital environments.
Young learners were encouraged to ask themselves questions such as:
Is this technology helping me learn or distracting me?
How much time am I spending online?
Is social media affecting my concentration?
Am I getting enough sleep and physical activity?
Do I know who I am communicating with online?
What should I do if I see something inappropriate or frightening?
Am I using technology for a clear purpose?
Building Healthier Learners for a Digital Future
The outreach programme concluded with a call for a more balanced understanding of technology and education.
Rather than portraying smartphones, social media or games as inherently harmful, participants were encouraged to recognise both their benefits and potential risks. The central message was that technology should serve children's development rather than control it.
For parents, this means becoming informed digital role models. For educators, it means helping students develop digital literacy and effective learning strategies. For young learners, it means developing the self-awareness and discipline required to make responsible choices.
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