Education in a Digital World: Global Perspectives on Technology and Education

"The book takes a comprehensive look at digital technology use in educational settings around the world. Drawing on a wealth of theoretical and empirical work, the book tackles a number of pressing questions"--

Writing to be accessible to educators and general readers, Selwyn (Institute of Education, University of London, UK) offers a socially attuned, comparative analysis of the uses of educational technology and the connections between digital technology and the politics of education, not only in the developed countries of North America and Europe, but also in South America, Africa, and Asia. The author seeks to reintroduce a political dimension into the academic debates surrounding educational technology by investigating the role of culture, politics, and economics on the production and consumption of a range of educational technology products, practices, and discourses at the macro and micro levels. He touches on the roles of international organizations and national policymaking, and offers a critical analysis of the "one laptop per child" policy. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)



Drawing on a wealth of theoretical and empirical work, Education in a Digital World tackles a number of pressing questions, such as, how are 'global' trends in educational technology refracted through national policies and processes? How exactly are educational technologies linked to issues of global economics and the fortunes of national and international economies? To what extent are digital technologies implicated in the commercialisation, marketization and commodification of education? These questions, and others, are addressed throughout eight wide-ranging chapters, which consider topics such as the national policy strategies of countries across North and South America, Europe and East Asia, the educational technology portfolios of international organizations such as the United Nations and Microsoft, as well as the role of education and technology in international development and the on-going efforts to provide 'one laptop per child' across low-income regions and countries. Through these examples Selwyn develops a detailed analysis of education, technology and globalisation, drawing together arguments and debates from various academic perspectives. Written in a detailed but accessible manner, this is an essential book for anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of the role of education and technology in contemporary globalised society.

Preface		vii
Acknowledgements		xi
1 Education and Technology - Developing a Global Perspective		1	(22)
2 Making Sense of Education and Technology - Theoretical Approaches		23	(20)
3 Education, Technology and International Organisations		43	(20)
4 Education, Technology and National Policymaking		63	(22)
5 Local Variations in Educational Technology Provision and Practice		85	(20)
6 The Role of Educational Technology in International Development		105	(22)
7 `One Laptop per Child' - A Critical Analysis		127	(20)
8 Education in a Digital World - So Where Now?		147	(18)
References		165	(12)
Index		177

Neil Selwyn is Reader in the Department of Culture, Communication and Media at the Institute of Education, University of London, UK.