Cheryl Brown (educator)

Cheryl Lee Brown is a South African–New Zealand education academic who has worked in education in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. She is a full professor at the University of Canterbury, specialising in the use of technology in education, digital literacy and access to technology. Brown then worked in the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching at the University of Cape Town. Brown has worked in education in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Brown joined the faculty of the University of Canterbury, rising to full professor in 2024.

Quotes

• The pandemic has fundamentally altered every part of our lives, not least the time we spend on digital devices. For young people in particular, the blurred line between recreational and educational screen time presents new challenges we are only beginning to appreciate.
• With lockdowns and social restrictions now a new normal, it is increasingly difficult to disengage from screens. Children are growing up in a digital society, surrounded by a multitude of devices used for everything from social connection to learning and entertainment.
  • MacCallum, Kathryn; Brown, Cheryl (13 October 2021). "How can we improve children's screen time management in the digital age?". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
• Digital devices have the potential to enhance learning, but there are few situations where this happens currently and many in which learning may be hindered.
• We need to focus on integrating technology that makes a difference and enhances learning. Students learn best when they are actively engaged and create and drive their own learning.
• For example, rather than students simply watching a YouTube clip to learn about the solar system, they might create their own augmented reality simulation, requiring them to apply their knowledge to correctly place, size and animate digital objects. Rebalancing screen time in this way will help avoid the more negative consequences of these ubiquitous devices and highlight some of their unique advantages.
  • MacCallum, Kathryn; Brown, Cheryl (13 October 2021). "How can we improve children's screen time management in the digital age?". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
• The boundaries between recreation, communication and learning are becoming less distinct. Screen time that may seem on the surface to be purely recreational can in reality be important for learning, supporting mental health and driving awareness of important issues.
  • MacCallum, Kathryn; Brown, Cheryl (8 October 2021). "Children live online more than ever – we need better definitions of 'good' and 'bad' screen time". The Conversation. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
• Banning technology from schools can be legitimate if technology integration does not improve learning or if it worsens student wellbeing … [and mitigating risk] may require something more than banning.
• Beyond the learning impact, the second issue most often cited for banning cellphones in the classroom is the negative impacts of mobile use on wellbeing. The access to and reach of harmful contexts (such as porn) and acts (like bullying) is certainly a serious and significant issue. The pervasiveness of cellphones heightens the risks. Banning cellphones does not solve this issue and rather just enables schools (and the government) to absolve themselves from dealing with the problem, pushing these complex issues into the hands of parents and whānau to deal with.
  • MacCallum, Kathryn; Brown, Cheryl (11 August 2023). "School cellphone ban won't make the realities of life go away". The Post Te Upoko O Te Ika. Retrieved 29 March 2025.