School education in the age of the ubiquitous networked computer

ScienceDirect - Technology in Society : School education in the age of the ubiquitous networked computer

Abstract

The difficulty in understanding the future implications of new technologies in society is seen in the growth of the Internet throughout the world, and, in particular, in schools. As factors such as convergence, increased bandwidth, “edutainment”, multitasking and changes to traditional socialisation modify everyday life, there is a corresponding need to consider the ways in which emerging practices and beliefs challenge traditional assumptions about the nature of school education. Although schools are by nature conservative and can be resistant to reform, the collective influence of an increase in the number of networked computers, improved teacher training, and the impetus of a transformed culture in wider society are likely to lead to a reconsideration of the nature of schooling.