Schools now face considerable pressure to be using educational data to inform decision-making and become more efficient. Key to this rise of the 'data-driven' school is the increased use of digital technologies -- with computer-based data processing fuelling hopes for the technology-driven 'smart schooling' and a general 'datafication' of…

The use of digital technologies within schools is leading to the increased generation, processing and circulation of data relating to students. To date, academic research around this 'datafication' of schools and schooling has tended to focus on institutional issues of governance and commercialisation, with relatively little consideration of…

While digital technology is an integral feature of contemporary education, schools are often presumed to constrain and compromise students' uses of technology. This paper investigates students' experiences of school as a context for digital technology use. Drawing upon survey data from three Australian secondary schools (n = 1174), this paper…

From the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, schools micro-computing in the UK developed from being a niche "hobbyist" activity to a prominent, officially mandated element of the national education system. Drawing on in-depth interviews with key actors of the time, this paper outlines the initial varied interpretations of schools…

This paper examines the emergence of schools "micro-computing" in the UK between 1977 and 1984--a period of significant educational, technological and political change. During this time, computing developed rapidly from a niche activity in a few select schools to the state subsidized purchasing of a "computer in every school"…

Covering a decade during which the "digital divide" came to popular and political attention, and written at a time when the Internet continues to be championed as a means of widening access to educational opportunities, this paper presents an analysis of the social, economic and educational characteristics associated with using the…

This article considers the uses and non-uses of digital technology by international distance learners. It draws upon data from in-depth interviews with 60 learners from around the world following distance education degree courses provided by a large UK federal university. The article focuses firstly on learners' descriptions of technology's role…

In last month's "Adult Learning," the authors introduced the notion of "the silver surfer", a third-age learner adept at using the internet and other technologies for a mixture of formal and informal learning episodes. They suggested that neither this image nor its obverse, the truly disconnected older adult, is helpful in understanding the ICT…

The relatively restricted nature of children's use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) inside the school setting has long been noted by researchers. With this in mind, this article offers a grounded analysis of drawings collected from 355 primary pupils (years three to six) from five English primary schools depicting desired…

Reports on a study of secondary students in the United Kingdom that examined the gender and social competency of frequent and infrequent computer users. Results suggest that frequent users are just as likely to be female and no less sociable, contrary to persistent stereotyping of computer users as antisocial males. (Author/LRW)

Investigated British teachers' use of an online discussion group over 2 years. Results indicate that, although the online forum was widely used as both an information and empathetic exchange resource, many claims of establishing collectively- focused virtual communities of teachers remain exaggerated, as the forum was limited by various caveats…

Asserts that the assessment of students' ability to use computers should be central to educational computing research, but most studies have relied on vague definitions of what constitutes computer-use ability. Argues that definitions need to be clarified before further research is conducted. Raises methodological issues for further research. (DSK)

Reports on a study of 267 primary children in five schools in South and Mid Wales. Examines their use of information and communications technology (ICT) in school and at home using a combination of interview and questionnaire data. Data reveal that although the vast majority of children are making some use of computers in schools, patterns of…

Discusses educational computer advertising developed by information and communications technology (ICT) firms in the United Kingdom, arguing that such advertisements present a disempowering view of teachers, which may well impact teacher use of instructional technology. The paper highlights four dominant themes: ICT as problematic and problem…

This paper explores the varied use of information technologies (ITs) such as the computer and Internet for self-education, highlighting how these technologies can facilitate and suppress such learning opportunities throughout the adult population. Based on data drawn from a large-scale study of adults in the West of England and South Wales, the…