Book. Virtual Learning: the Impact of ICT on the Way Young People Work and Learn

Citation

(2002), "Book. Virtual Learning: the Impact of ICT on the Way Young People Work and Learn", Education + Training, Vol. 44 No. 8/9. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2002.00444had.001

Book. Virtual Learning: the Impact of ICT on the Way Young People Work and Learn

Book

Virtual Learning: the Impact of ICT on the Way Young People Work and Learn

J. P. CuthellAshgate2002£39.95ISBN 0754617769

For almost 20 years, successive governments have realized the importance of computers and computing and made significant investment in them in schools. The latest initiative, the National Grid for Learning, seeks to place online-learning facilities at the heart of the curriculum for both teachers and students, and to use them as a vehicle for lifelong learning.

The impact of information and communication technology in the classroom transforms management, organization and traditional teaching approaches. However, many teachers still struggle to come to terms with the issues.

Since the mid-1990s, many students have gained access to a personal computer at home. The ways in which they have learned to use the machines, and the uses to which they put them, are often shaped by input from peers, and by personal experience. The education system struggles to meet the demands and expectations of these young people. Those without a personal computer at home are doubly disadvantaged if their schools and teachers cannot compensate.

Cuthell examines the patterns of computer ownership and use among young people, as well as teacher use and teacher attitudes. The results clearly demonstrate the disparity between student computer ownership and use and that of their teachers. It suggests that the patterns of learning experienced by young people vary with the assumptions and expectations of their teachers.

The book contains plenty to interest teachers, lecturers and trainers in schools, colleges and universities.