Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is changing the face of education. In this timely and accessible book, Chris Abbott examines the process by which ICT, and in particular its role in relation to literacy, has become central to national educational policies. The author traces the history of computer use in schools and examines the concept of virtual learning communities using case studies involving learners, parents and educationalists. The role of the Internet is considered along with the differing national policies on its adoption and on developing online context. ICT: Changing Education reveals the development of open and flexible learning as the next stage of ICT's involvement with education.

In this timely and accessible book, Chris Abbott examines the process by which ICT, and in particular its role in relation to literacy, has become central to national educational policies.

The debate is no longer whether to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in education in Africa but how to do so, and how to ensure equitable access for teachers and learners, whether in urban or rural settings. This is a book about how Africans adopt and adapt ICT. It is also about how ICT shape African schools and classrooms. Why do we use ICT, or not? Do girls and boys use them in the same ways? How are teachers and students in primary and secondary schools in Africa using ICT in teaching and learning? How does the process transform relations among learners, educators and knowledge construction? This collection by 19 researchers from Africa, Europe, and North America, explores these questions from a pedagogical perspective and specific socio-cultural contexts. Many of the contributors draw on learning theory and survey data from 36 schools, 66000 students and 3000 teachers. The book is rich in empirical detail on the perceived importance and appropriation of ICT in the development of education in Africa. It critically examines the potential for creative use of ICT to question habits, change mindsets, and deepen practice. The contributions are in both English and French.

This volume provides examples of current developments on the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice within an international context. Chapters draw on advanced contemporary thinking from scholars and practitioners in the field to present case studies of how ICT can be used to promote sustainable development and social justice. Social justice is understood in a wide sense as the pursuit of democracy, justice and development in the struggle against any form of oppression; it is within this context that ICT is explored as a tool for social change. The objectives of this book are: - To analyze the philosophical, historical, political, and cultural backgrounds and contexts that are constitutive of contemporary challenges and tensions in the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice around the world; - To appreciate the contextual and international dimensions of the tensions and challenges faced by educators around the world and contribute to ongoing efforts to sketch a vision for addressing their needs; - To explore ways in which ICT in education can promote social justice and contribute toward sustaining communities around the world

The adequate integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in educational and training processes is one of the biggest current challenges in education. The classroom of the present is very different from just a few decades ago, new technological tools are completely transforming its characteristics and activities. This internationally authored book offers a timely, effective and practical vision of this new educational scenario. The book takes a multidisciplinary approach in looking at the problems and possible solutions that are faced by the educational professional of the 21st century when, by necessity or obligation, they face the use of ICT in their daily tasks. Divided into two parts, one theoretical and another practical, this book offers the highlights of the most important lines of research that are being developed today in educational technology, and importantly presents the innovations which have had the most impact over recent years. From the profound transformations in the physical classroom to everything that involves new virtual scenarios, where online teaching requires innovative strategies and training processes, this book describes the diverse scenarios that ICT has generated and will continue to generate in the field of education. It presents a new and a very different type of education that can be adapted to the needs of the citizen of the digital society.

This book explores the impact that new Information and Communication Technologies are having on teaching and the way children learn, addressing key issues in the UK and internationally.

This book presents a peer reviewed selection of extended versions of ten original papers that were presented at the 15th International Symposium on Computers in Education (SIIE 2013) held in Viseu, Portugal. The book provide a representative view of current Information and Communications Technology (ICT) educational research approaches in the Ibero-American context as well as internationally. It includes studies that range from elementary to higher education, from traditional to distance learning settings. It considers special needs and other inclusive issues, across a range of disciplines, using multiple and diverse perspectives and technologies to furnish detailed information on the latest trends in ICT and education globally. Design, development and evaluation of educational software; ICT use and evaluation methodologies; social web and collaborative systems; and learning communities are some of the topics covered.