Using social network sites and mobile technology to scaffold equity of access to cultural resources

Abstract

Using social media and personally-owned mobile devices as a means of providing a bridge from media use in everyday life to the expectations of school and higher education potentially has enormous attraction. This chapter discusses access to 'cultural resources' facilitated by digital media from a wide perspective (e.g. learning resources, health information, cultural events, employment opportunities, etc.). The purpose of the chapter is to reclaim the notion of 'cultural resources' for educational discourse as it seems powerful to us in the context of discussions about social mobility and fairness of access. Following a practical example which underscores the motivation of our discussion, key concepts are defined, particularly forms of 'capital' through the lens of the following question: how can we enable learning activities in formal and informal contexts undertaken by individuals and groups to become linked through scaffolding as a bridging activity mediated by network and mobile technology? As this is a large problem space, the literature is selectively reviewed in order to provide an overview of the current state of the art in terms of using network and mobile technology for bridging what we call 'social capital' (which emphasises the informational benefits of a heterogeneous network of weak ties). Tentative conclusions are drawn in an effort to further debate. © 2013 Woodhead Publishing Limited All rights reserved.