Second Handbook of Information Technology in Primary and Secondary Education

Abstract

Given the predominance of ICT in the workplace and in our lives more broadly, the extent to which our students are able to access and utilise these resources is an important issue. Education systems are designed to equip students with the skills that they need to function effectively as members of our society and the ability to function effectively increasingly requires proficiency in a range of ICT tools. The first part of this chapter considers the extent to which students are literate in ICT. In particular, it examines the level of access students have to computers, the extent to which they are able to perform various tasks using computers and their level of engagement with such technologies. The second part of this chapter examines how ICT is currently being used in schools and classrooms to change students’ learning experiences and to more closely align what students do in the classrooms with what they are required to do in real life.