Why Australia’s Most Effective Schools are Blending Print and Digital

As digital tools transform classrooms across Australia, educators are learning to navigate the delicate balance between digital and print resources, all with the ultimate aim of enhancing student learning.

That’s the key finding of the Digital Landscapes in Australian Schools 2025 report, which reveals that 53.9% of schools prefer a dual-format model: a deliberate blend of digital and print resources. Notably, many have no intention of abandoning print, despite being highly tech-enabled.

As the CEO of Campion Education, I have the privilege of working with thousands of school leaders across Australia each year. What I consistently hear is that the most successful learning environments are those that embrace a healthy balance between print and digital. Let’s find out why.

Why Print Still Matters
While digital platforms offer extraordinary benefits, from accessibility and inclusivity to real-time data and AI-supported personalisation, print brings something equally essential: focus, tactility, and freedom from distraction.

In our latest research, educators told us that print supports deep work in a way screens often can’t. The physical act of turning a page can be cognitively beneficial, as students process by tangibly writing in the margins, helping those with memory retention. As one educator put it: “We are highly tech-enabled, but print materials are not a ‘fallback’ option but rather can be a useful, often more effective learning tool when chosen for pedagogical reasons due to their tactile nature and fewer distractions.”

This isn’t an either-or proposition. It’s about using the right tool for the right task. For example, a student might study a printed maths textbook during class, then use a digital platform at home for extra practice or to hear a concept explained in a different way. Each experience enhances the other.

There’s also a question of equity. While digital tools have dramatically expanded access for many, they also come with dependencies: device access, internet reliability, and technical proficiency. In some classrooms, digital-only approaches inadvertently disadvantage students who don’t have these basics covered. Print provides a reliable, level playing field, free from buffering or logins.

Respondents told us access can vary even within a school, with some students using second-hand print books while others rely on digital, leading to challenges in lesson planning and assessment. One teacher said, “There is a mix of kids with digital / print or just print... so setting digital tasks is ineffective.”

And let’s not forget the importance of student agency. Offering both print and digital allows students to discover how they learn best. That might be curling up with a paperback in a quiet corner, or tapping through an interactive biology chapter on a tablet. Both are valid.

Digital is Thriving, but Print is Too
We are, of course, witnessing an exciting and necessary digital transformation in schools. AI is on the rise, with 78.2% of schools in our survey already using AI for education. Teachers are leveraging learning management systems, PDF textbooks, and adaptive platforms that support a more personalised approach. These tools are powerful and, in many cases, transformative.

Barriers like device access, staff readiness, and concern about distractions also play a role. As one school noted: “We have 1:1 [print and digital split] but devices can be a distraction rather than a tool. We are focusing on deep learning, inquiry-based activities: collaborative, critical and creative thinking development.”

Interestingly, 11% of schools surveyed said they aim to remain in a dual learning model even as they evolve digitally, choosing not to increase their digital share. For these educators, the goal is smarter integration, not simply tech.

Educators are weighing up their options and selecting resources based on what best serves the lesson, the learner, and the outcome. And our findings show that even in highly
tech-enabled schools, the majority still rely on a mix of both.

What Schools Need from Their Partners
One clear message from the Digital Landscapes report is that educators value support from learning partners who understand the complexity of today’s classrooms. This means offering flexibility, robust privacy protections, and above all, choice. It means avoiding the temptation to push full digital adoption as the only way forward.

When asked what matters most in selecting digital tools, school staff overwhelmingly prioritised clarity of communication, support for staff training, and privacy protection, with 91.5% rating clear communication as extremely or somewhat important, and 72.9% highlighting strong data management as a top concern.

At Campion, we’ve seen first-hand that the most effective educational outcomes come from environments where teachers are empowered with a range of tools, not restricted by a single format.

The real future of education isn’t paper or pixels. It’s both. And as the data shows, most Australian educators already understand this. They’re not asking, ‘should we be print or digital?’, they’re asking ‘how can we use both well?’ Print remains a vital part of that mix, not for sentimental reasons, but because it delivers.