Chris Davies – författare

The popular media often presents a negative picture of young people and technology. From addiction to gaming, the distractions of the Internet, to the risks of social networking, the downsides of new technology in the lives of teenagers are often over-blown.Teenagers and Technology presents a balanced picture of the part played by technology in the lives of young people. Drawing on extensive interviews conducted over several years, this book offers a timely and non-sensational exploration of teenagers’ experiences and opinions about the digital technologies they use, desire and dislike.The book covers a range of topical subjects including: Social networking and online engagement in the wider social world Building online self-identity and group membership Technology in the home Developing technology skills in support of learning Drawing on technological resources in the journey towards adulthood.Grounded in what young people actually say about using new technology in their daily lives, Teenagers and Technology presents a picture in which young people have in some respects a unique relationship to technology, but one that is actually not exceptional or of a completely different order to how people in general relate to it.By providing a nuanced view on the topic, Teenagers and Technology counters the extreme accounts of ‘digital youth’, and exaggerated anxieties created by the mass media. It will be of interest to students and academics working in the fields of adolescent and Internet studies, along with education professionals, practitioners, teenagers and their parents.

The popular media often presents a negative picture of young people and technology. From addiction to gaming, the distractions of the Internet, to the risks of social networking, the downsides of new technology in the lives of teenagers are often over-blown.Teenagers and Technology presents a balanced picture of the part played by technology in the lives of young people. Drawing on extensive interviews conducted over several years, this book offers a timely and non-sensational exploration of teenagers’ experiences and opinions about the digital technologies they use, desire and dislike.The book covers a range of topical subjects including: Social networking and online engagement in the wider social world Building online self-identity and group membership Technology in the home Developing technology skills in support of learning Drawing on technological resources in the journey towards adulthood.Grounded in what young people actually say about using new technology in their daily lives, Teenagers and Technology presents a picture in which young people have in some respects a unique relationship to technology, but one that is actually not exceptional or of a completely different order to how people in general relate to it.By providing a nuanced view on the topic, Teenagers and Technology counters the extreme accounts of ‘digital youth’, and exaggerated anxieties created by the mass media. It will be of interest to students and academics working in the fields of adolescent and Internet studies, along with education professionals, practitioners, teenagers and their parents.

The widespread academic study of educational technology blossomed in the years following the development of the microprocessor. Of course, that is not to say that education was technology-free before the 1970s: the telephone, wireless radio, cinema, television, and mainframe computers had all in their time been heralded as educational marvels. But the scale of change, and the academic practices that responded to it, became of an entirely different order with the arrival of personal computers, promising as they did access for ordinary people to cheaper, faster, and smarter benefits of science and technology. From that historic moment onwards, it was increasingly common to hear educationalists, computer experts, journalists, and politicians proclaiming that these new technologies would transform the world of education, for better or for worse.In the midst of this excitement (and, often, hype), Education and Technology researchers have, via empirical investigation and the development of novel or revised theoretical perspectives, explored the impact of new technologies on learning, pedagogy, design, policy, and the future of educational institutions. Psychology, Computer Science, Sociology, Pedagogical Studies, Communications, and Economics have all contributed to the domain, and connections have begun to be made to create a coherent body of thought and practice. But, while Education and Technology has stimulated a tremendous amount of published material, much of that work has been contaminated by political and commercial interests. Indeed, the dizzying quantity (and variable quality) of much research makes it difficult to discriminate the useful from the tendentious, superficial, and otiose. Now, as part of Routledge’s Major Themes in Education series, the editors of this new collection, two leading scholars from the University of Oxford’s Department of Education and the University’s Internet Institute, have undertaken the task of determining and bringing together in a one-stop resource the major works in Education and Technology.With a full index, and thoughtful introductions, newly written by the editors, Education and Technology will be valued by scholars, students, and policy-makers as a vital and enduring resource.

This book examines the presence and effects of new technologies in the lives of young people. The rapid pace of change in the development and use of digital technologies, and the likely impact this has on youth, means that the topic has wide implications for educational institutions, theory and practice. There is a demand for a concentration on the ways in which new devices such as smart phones and tablets, as well as new platforms and recent notions such as the ‘flipped classroom’, are affecting the way education is being provided. However, there is also still a small minority who do not have full access to the internet, and the disadvantages suffered by this group must also be addressed.The internet offers a vast range of opportunities for young people, and yet for various reasons it is not always available. This can partly be attributed to the controls that schools impose on the use of digital technology, for reasons of safety and security, and can in part be explained by the fact that policy makers have contradictory attitudes to technology. While they may argue for the need to have a well-educated and well-trained workforce, they fear the threats to privacy and safety posed by the internet. This book asserts that society needs to have more open debate about the threats and opportunities of digital technology as it is a dynamic and ever-changing topic for us all.This book was originally published as a special issue of the Oxford Review of Education.

This book examines the presence and effects of new technologies in the lives of young people. The rapid pace of change in the development and use of digital technologies, and the likely impact this has on youth, means that the topic has wide implications for educational institutions, theory and practice. There is a demand for a concentration on the ways in which new devices such as smart phones and tablets, as well as new platforms and recent notions such as the ‘flipped classroom’, are affecting the way education is being provided. However, there is also still a small minority who do not have full access to the internet, and the disadvantages suffered by this group must also be addressed.The internet offers a vast range of opportunities for young people, and yet for various reasons it is not always available. This can partly be attributed to the controls that schools impose on the use of digital technology, for reasons of safety and security, and can in part be explained by the fact that policy makers have contradictory attitudes to technology. While they may argue for the need to have a well-educated and well-trained workforce, they fear the threats to privacy and safety posed by the internet. This book asserts that society needs to have more open debate about the threats and opportunities of digital technology as it is a dynamic and ever-changing topic for us all.This book was originally published as a special issue of the Oxford Review of Education.

Following the release of Ridley Scott's Gladiator in 2000 the ancient world epic has experienced a revival in studio and audience interest. Building on existing scholarship on the Cold War epics of the 1950s-60s, including Ben-Hur, Spartacus and The Robe, this original study explores the current cycle of ancient world epics in cinema within the social and political climate created by September 11th 2001. Examining films produced against the backdrop of the War on Terror and subsequent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, this book assesses the relationship between mainstream cinema and American society through depictions of the ancient world, conflict and faith. Davies explores how these films evoke depictions of the Second World War, the Vietnam War and the Western in portraying warfare in the ancient world, as well as discussing the influence of genre hybridisation, narration and reception theory. He questions the extent to which ancient world epics utilise allegory, analogy and allusion to parallel past and present in an industry often dictated by market forces. Featuring analysis of Alexander, Troy, 300, Centurion, The Eagle, The Passion of the Christ and more, this book offers new insight on the continued evolution of the ancient world epic in cinema.

Formerly known as the North and West Route, the Welsh Marches Line runs for 95 miles from Newport to Shrewsbury. It is a vital rail passenger link between Wales, Northern England (to Manchester via Crewe) and the Midlands. It also connects North Wales and South Wales. The route sweeps through delightful countryside on the borderlands of England and Wales. It is unique in that it has one of the longest sections of railway line on the network in the UK that still uses the steam age Absolute Block method of signalling to control the trains, operated by mechanical signals from 16 consecutive signal boxes, the most continuous number of signal boxes anywhere on a stretch of line in the UK. It also has the distinction of operating the largest working mechanical signal box in the world, Shrewsbury’s Severn Bridge Junction, located just outside Shrewsbury station.Although freight traffic has reduced considerably in recent years, steel, timber and aggregates continue to be important freight flows. The diminishing number of locomotive hauled freight trains, however, has been offset in the past few years by the introduction of locomotive hauled premier passenger services. Indeed, it is exceptional for being one of the few lines on the UK network to operate regular premier services with dedicated first-class carriages, including chef, from Swansea and Cardiff to Manchester.The book is a stunningly illustrated contemporary portrait of the Welsh Marches line in its entirety, featuring 260 colour images, describing in detail its trains, signalling, stations, route geography, and its brief history where relevant. In particular, it is a study of one of the few remaining outposts of surviving mechanical signalling on the UK rail network, with detailed descriptions and images of all the signal boxes operating on the line which were visited by the author. In addition, the book explores the magnificent scenery the line crosses dominated by rural farmland, rolling hills and areas of outstanding natural beauty. The combination of unspoiled rural and natural countryside, coupled with steam-age signal boxes and extant semaphore signals, gives a timeless feel to the line.

Following the release of Ridley Scott's Gladiator in 2000 the ancient world epic has experienced a revival in studio and audience interest. Building on existing scholarship on the Cold War epics of the 1950s-60s, including Ben-Hur, Spartacus and The Robe, this original study explores the current cycle of ancient world epics in cinema within the social and political climate created by September 11th 2001. Examining films produced against the backdrop of the War on Terror and subsequent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, this book assesses the relationship between mainstream cinema and American society through depictions of the ancient world, conflict and faith. Davies explores how these films evoke depictions of the Second World War, the Vietnam War and the Western in portraying warfare in the ancient world, as well as discussing the influence of genre hybridisation, narration and reception theory. He questions the extent to which ancient world epics utilise allegory, analogy and allusion to parallel past and present in an industry often dictated by market forces. Featuring analysis of Alexander, Troy, 300, Centurion, The Eagle, The Passion of the Christ and more, this book offers new insight on the continued evolution of the ancient world epic in cinema.