Neil Selwyn – författare

Social media are now established as an important aspect of contemporary education. We live in times where social media applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Snapchat are mainstream educational tools; where most new educational technologies claim to have a ‘social’ element; and it increasingly makes no sense to distinguish between learning ‘online’ and ‘offline’. It studies users' experiences and views of social media; addresses questions of equality and diversity concerning who is doing what with social media; examines how the use of social media applications sits alongside pre-existing cultures and structures of schooling; and brings to light the unintended and unexpected results of social media in education. Altogether, this collection of writing provides a nuanced and interesting discussion of the realities of social media use across different aspects of education.This book was originally published as a special issue of Learning, Media and Technology.

This engaging book sheds light on the ways in which adults in the twenty-first century interact with technology in different learning environments. Based on one of the first large-scale academic research projects in this area, the authors present their findings and offer practical recommendations for the use of new technology in a learning society. They invite debate on:why ICTs are believed to be capable of affecting positive change in adult learningthe drawbacks and limits of ICT in adult educationwhat makes a lifelong learner the wider social, economic, cultural and political realities of the information age and the learning society.Adult Learning addresses key questions and provides a sound empirical foundation to the existing debate, highlighting the complex realities of the learning society and e-learning rhetoric. It tells the story of those who are excluded from the learning society, and offers a set of strong recommendations for practitioners, policy-makers, and politicians, as well as researchers and students.

This engaging book sheds light on the ways in which adults in the twenty-first century interact with technology in different learning environments. Based on one of the first large-scale academic research projects in this area, the authors present their findings and offer practical recommendations for the use of new technology in a learning society. They invite debate on:why ICTs are believed to be capable of affecting positive change in adult learningthe drawbacks and limits of ICT in adult educationwhat makes a lifelong learner the wider social, economic, cultural and political realities of the information age and the learning society.Adult Learning addresses key questions and provides a sound empirical foundation to the existing debate, highlighting the complex realities of the learning society and e-learning rhetoric. It tells the story of those who are excluded from the learning society, and offers a set of strong recommendations for practitioners, policy-makers, and politicians, as well as researchers and students.

This book presents a wide-ranging and critical exploration of a topic that lies at the heart of contemporary education. The use of digital technology is now a key feature of schools and schooling around the world. Yet despite its prominence, technology use continues to be an area of education that rarely receives sustained critical attention and thought, especially from those people who are most involved and affected by it. Technology tends to be something that many teachers, learners, parents, policy-makers and even academics approach as a routine rather than reflective matter.Tackling the wider picture, addressing the social, cultural, economic, political and commercial aspects of schools and schooling in the digital age, this book offers to make sense of what happens, and what does not happen, when the digital and the educational come together in the guise of schools technology. In particular, the book examines contemporary schooling in terms of social justice, equality and participatory democracy. Seeking to re-politicise an increasingly depoliticised area of educational debate and analysis, setting out to challenge the many contradictions that characterise the field of education technology today, the author concludes by suggesting what forms schools and schooling in the digital age could, and should, take.This is the perfect volume for anyone interested in the application and use of technology in education, as well as the education policy and politics that surround it; many will also find its innovative proposals for technology use an inspiration for their own teaching and learning.

This book presents a wide-ranging and critical exploration of a topic that lies at the heart of contemporary education. The use of digital technology is now a key feature of schools and schooling around the world. Yet despite its prominence, technology use continues to be an area of education that rarely receives sustained critical attention and thought, especially from those people who are most involved and affected by it. Technology tends to be something that many teachers, learners, parents, policy-makers and even academics approach as a routine rather than reflective matter.Tackling the wider picture, addressing the social, cultural, economic, political and commercial aspects of schools and schooling in the digital age, this book offers to make sense of what happens, and what does not happen, when the digital and the educational come together in the guise of schools technology. In particular, the book examines contemporary schooling in terms of social justice, equality and participatory democracy. Seeking to re-politicise an increasingly depoliticised area of educational debate and analysis, setting out to challenge the many contradictions that characterise the field of education technology today, the author concludes by suggesting what forms schools and schooling in the digital age could, and should, take.This is the perfect volume for anyone interested in the application and use of technology in education, as well as the education policy and politics that surround it; many will also find its innovative proposals for technology use an inspiration for their own teaching and learning.

Distrusting Educational Technology critically explores the optimistic consensus that has arisen around the use of digital technology in education. Drawing on a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, this book shows how apparently neutral forms of educational technology have actually served to align educational provision and practices with neo-liberal values, thereby eroding the nature of education as a public good and moving it instead toward the individualistic tendencies of twenty-first century capitalism. Following a wide-ranging interrogation of the ideological dimensions of educational technology, this book examines in detail specific types of digital technology in use in education today, including virtual education, ‘open’ courses, digital games, and social media. It then concludes with specific recommendations for fairer forms of educational technology. An ideal read for anyone interested in the fast-changing nature of contemporary education, Distrusting Educational Technology comprises an ambitious and much-needed critique.

Distrusting Educational Technology critically explores the optimistic consensus that has arisen around the use of digital technology in education. Drawing on a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, this book shows how apparently neutral forms of educational technology have actually served to align educational provision and practices with neo-liberal values, thereby eroding the nature of education as a public good and moving it instead toward the individualistic tendencies of twenty-first century capitalism. Following a wide-ranging interrogation of the ideological dimensions of educational technology, this book examines in detail specific types of digital technology in use in education today, including virtual education, ‘open’ courses, digital games, and social media. It then concludes with specific recommendations for fairer forms of educational technology. An ideal read for anyone interested in the fast-changing nature of contemporary education, Distrusting Educational Technology comprises an ambitious and much-needed critique.

Digital Technology and the Contemporary University examines the often messy realities of higher education in the ‘digital age’. Drawing on a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, the book explores the intimate links between digital technology and wider shifts within contemporary higher education – not least the continued rise of the managerialist ‘bureaucratic’ university. It highlights the ways that these new trends can be challenged, and possibly changed altogether. Addressing a persistent gap in higher education and educational technology research, where digital technology is rarely subject to an appropriately critical approach, Degrees of Digitization offers an alternative reading of the social, political, economic and cultural issues surrounding universities and technology. The book highlights emerging themes that are beginning to be recognised and discussed in academia, but as yet have not been explored thoroughly. Over the course of eight wide-ranging chapters the book addresses issues such as:The role of digital technology in university reformDigital technologies and the organisation of universitiesDigital technology and the working lives of university staffDigital technology and the ‘student experience’Reimagining the place of digital technology within the contemporary universityThis book will be of great interest to all students, academic researchers and writers working in the areas of education studies and/or educational technology, as well as being essential reading for anyone working in the areas of higher education research and digital media research.

Digital Technology and the Contemporary University examines the often messy realities of higher education in the ‘digital age’. Drawing on a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, the book explores the intimate links between digital technology and wider shifts within contemporary higher education – not least the continued rise of the managerialist ‘bureaucratic’ university. It highlights the ways that these new trends can be challenged, and possibly changed altogether. Addressing a persistent gap in higher education and educational technology research, where digital technology is rarely subject to an appropriately critical approach, Degrees of Digitization offers an alternative reading of the social, political, economic and cultural issues surrounding universities and technology. The book highlights emerging themes that are beginning to be recognised and discussed in academia, but as yet have not been explored thoroughly. Over the course of eight wide-ranging chapters the book addresses issues such as:The role of digital technology in university reformDigital technologies and the organisation of universitiesDigital technology and the working lives of university staffDigital technology and the ‘student experience’Reimagining the place of digital technology within the contemporary universityThis book will be of great interest to all students, academic researchers and writers working in the areas of education studies and/or educational technology, as well as being essential reading for anyone working in the areas of higher education research and digital media research.

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.

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.

The Information Age offers a critical examination of the challenges a newly-devolved Wales faces in reinventing itself as a confident and competitive 'e-nation'. The development and exploitation of technology has long been at the core of Welsh economic and social life and has assumed even greater significance over the last few decades with the emergence of new information and communication technologies. Neil Selwyn and Stephen Gorard suggest that small countries will lose out if they fail to adopt appropriate strategies for lifelong learning and combat the danger of a 'digital divide'. At the same time, their extensive empirical research offers early indications of the likely shortcomings of relying on technology alone to promote knowledge and social inclusion. Wales faces major structural, economic and socio-cultural challenges. None of these will be overcome by relying solely on 'technical fixes'.

Digital technologies are a key feature of contemporary education. Schools, colleges and universities operate along high-tech lines, while alternate forms of online education have emerged to challenge the dominance of traditional institutions. According to many experts, the rapid digitization of education over the past ten years has undoubtedly been a ‘good thing’. Is Technology Good For Education? offers a critical counterpoint to this received wisdom, challenging some of the central ways in which digital technology is presumed to be positively affecting education. Instead Neil Selwyn considers what is being lost as digital technologies become ever more integral to education provision and engagement. Crucially, he questions the values, agendas and interests that stand to gain most from the rise of digital education. This concise, up-to-the-minute analysis concludes by considering alternate approaches that might be capable of rescuing and perhaps revitalizing the ideals of public education, while not denying the possibilities of digital technology altogether.

Digital technologies are a key feature of contemporary education. Schools, colleges and universities operate along high-tech lines, while alternate forms of online education have emerged to challenge the dominance of traditional institutions. According to many experts, the rapid digitization of education over the past ten years has undoubtedly been a ‘good thing’. Is Technology Good For Education? offers a critical counterpoint to this received wisdom, challenging some of the central ways in which digital technology is presumed to be positively affecting education. Instead Neil Selwyn considers what is being lost as digital technologies become ever more integral to education provision and engagement. Crucially, he questions the values, agendas and interests that stand to gain most from the rise of digital education. This concise, up-to-the-minute analysis concludes by considering alternate approaches that might be capable of rescuing and perhaps revitalizing the ideals of public education, while not denying the possibilities of digital technology altogether.

Today’s high schools are increasingly based around the use of digital technologies. Students and teachers are encouraged to ‘Bring Your Own Device’, teaching takes place through ‘learning management systems’ and educators are rushing to implement innovations such as flipped classrooms, personalized learning, analytics and ‘maker’ technologies. Yet despite these developments, the core processes of school appear to have altered little over the past 50 years. As the twenty-first century progresses, concerns are growing that the basic model of ‘school’ is ‘broken’ and no longer ‘fit for purpose’.This book moves beyond the hype and examines the everyday realities of digital technology use in today’s high schools. Based on a major ethnographic study of three contrasting Australian schools, the authors lay bare the reasons underlying the inconsistent impact of digital technologies on day-to-day schooling. The book examines leadership and management of technology in schools, the changing nature of teachers’ work in the digital age, as well as student (mis)uses of technologies in and out of classrooms. In-depth case studies are presented of the adoption of personalized learning apps, social media and 3D printers. These investigations all lead to a detailed understanding of why schools make use of digital technologies in the ways that they do.Everyday Schooling in the Digital Age: High School, High Tech? offers a revealing analysis of the realities of contemporary schools and schooling – drawing on arguments and debates from various academic literatures such as policy studies, sociology of education, social studies of technology, media and communication studies. Over the course of ten wide-ranging chapters, a range of suggestions are developed as to how the full potential of digital technology might be realized within schools. Written in a detailed but accessible manner, this book offers an ambitious critique that is essential reading for anyone interested in the fast-changing nature of contemporary education.

Today’s high schools are increasingly based around the use of digital technologies. Students and teachers are encouraged to ‘Bring Your Own Device’, teaching takes place through ‘learning management systems’ and educators are rushing to implement innovations such as flipped classrooms, personalized learning, analytics and ‘maker’ technologies. Yet despite these developments, the core processes of school appear to have altered little over the past 50 years. As the twenty-first century progresses, concerns are growing that the basic model of ‘school’ is ‘broken’ and no longer ‘fit for purpose’.This book moves beyond the hype and examines the everyday realities of digital technology use in today’s high schools. Based on a major ethnographic study of three contrasting Australian schools, the authors lay bare the reasons underlying the inconsistent impact of digital technologies on day-to-day schooling. The book examines leadership and management of technology in schools, the changing nature of teachers’ work in the digital age, as well as student (mis)uses of technologies in and out of classrooms. In-depth case studies are presented of the adoption of personalized learning apps, social media and 3D printers. These investigations all lead to a detailed understanding of why schools make use of digital technologies in the ways that they do.Everyday Schooling in the Digital Age: High School, High Tech? offers a revealing analysis of the realities of contemporary schools and schooling – drawing on arguments and debates from various academic literatures such as policy studies, sociology of education, social studies of technology, media and communication studies. Over the course of ten wide-ranging chapters, a range of suggestions are developed as to how the full potential of digital technology might be realized within schools. Written in a detailed but accessible manner, this book offers an ambitious critique that is essential reading for anyone interested in the fast-changing nature of contemporary education.

This title was first published in 2002.The educational potential of information and communications technology (ICT) has been speculated upon endlessly - from the early days of the micro-computer to the present excitement surrounding virtual education and e-learning. Now, with current multi-billion dollar initiatives such as the UK National Grid for Learning and US Technology Literacy Challenge, ICT is an unavoidable element of education. Yet despite a plethora of promises and policies, new technologies have failed to be wholly integrated into education. Telling Tales on Technology critically examines the role of ICT in education and explores how, given its assumed importance, new technology remains a peripheral part of much of what goes on in education. Based on in-depth qualitative studies, the book takes a comprehensive yet questioning look over the past two decades of educational technology policy and practice and positions it within the wider social, cultural, political and economic notion of the information age. Drawing on interviews with students, teachers, politicians and business people as well as comprehensive documentary analysis, this is an essential text for anyone thinking seriously about the use of ICT in education.

Social media are now established as an important aspect of contemporary education. We live in times where social media applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Snapchat are mainstream educational tools; where most new educational technologies claim to have a ‘social’ element; and it increasingly makes no sense to distinguish between learning ‘online’ and ‘offline’. It studies users' experiences and views of social media; addresses questions of equality and diversity concerning who is doing what with social media; examines how the use of social media applications sits alongside pre-existing cultures and structures of schooling; and brings to light the unintended and unexpected results of social media in education. Altogether, this collection of writing provides a nuanced and interesting discussion of the realities of social media use across different aspects of education.This book was originally published as a special issue of Learning, Media and Technology.

This title was first published in 2002.The educational potential of information and communications technology (ICT) has been speculated upon endlessly - from the early days of the micro-computer to the present excitement surrounding virtual education and e-learning. Now, with current multi-billion dollar initiatives such as the UK National Grid for Learning and US Technology Literacy Challenge, ICT is an unavoidable element of education. Yet despite a plethora of promises and policies, new technologies have failed to be wholly integrated into education. Telling Tales on Technology critically examines the role of ICT in education and explores how, given its assumed importance, new technology remains a peripheral part of much of what goes on in education. Based on in-depth qualitative studies, the book takes a comprehensive yet questioning look over the past two decades of educational technology policy and practice and positions it within the wider social, cultural, political and economic notion of the information age. Drawing on interviews with students, teachers, politicians and business people as well as comprehensive documentary analysis, this is an essential text for anyone thinking seriously about the use of ICT in education.

What does the future hold for digital technology and education? What can be learnt from the history of technology use in education? Does digital technology make education more individualized? Will it eventually replace the school, university and teacher? In a thoroughly revised edition of this successful book, Neil Selwyn takes a critical look at some of the major current debates and controversies concerning digital technologies and education. Focusing on the social as well as the technical aspects of these issues, Selwyn addresses fundamental but often unvoiced questions about education and technology. Over the course of eight chapters, the book gives careful thought to the people, practices, processes and structures behind the rapidly increasing use of technologies in education, with an emphasis on the implications of digital technologies for individuals and institutions.Brand new chapters on trends in AI and 'big data' driven automation of education, and the future(s) of education and technology are included. This edition also features new sections exploring ‘post-digital’ perspectives, personalized learning, digital labour, and the impending need for sustainable forms of digital education.The book focuses attention on the connections between recent technology developments and broader changes in education practice, education policy and education theory over the past few decades. It also challenges us to reflect on future directions and controversies for education in the (post)digital age. Expanded study questions, annotated further reading and a new glossary of key terms are included to support readers. An updated companion website links to bonus chapters and audio recordings for further discussion.

What does the future hold for digital technology and education? What can be learnt from the history of technology use in education? Does digital technology make education more individualized? Will it eventually replace the school, university and teacher? In a thoroughly revised edition of this successful book, Neil Selwyn takes a critical look at some of the major current debates and controversies concerning digital technologies and education. Focusing on the social as well as the technical aspects of these issues, Selwyn addresses fundamental but often unvoiced questions about education and technology. Over the course of eight chapters, the book gives careful thought to the people, practices, processes and structures behind the rapidly increasing use of technologies in education, with an emphasis on the implications of digital technologies for individuals and institutions.Brand new chapters on trends in AI and 'big data' driven automation of education, and the future(s) of education and technology are included. This edition also features new sections exploring ‘post-digital’ perspectives, personalized learning, digital labour, and the impending need for sustainable forms of digital education.The book focuses attention on the connections between recent technology developments and broader changes in education practice, education policy and education theory over the past few decades. It also challenges us to reflect on future directions and controversies for education in the (post)digital age. Expanded study questions, annotated further reading and a new glossary of key terms are included to support readers. An updated companion website links to bonus chapters and audio recordings for further discussion.

Education has continued to grow in stature and significance as an academic discipline. In addition to world renowned research studies the growth of education has been seen in the methodology and methods underpinning its research. The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research provides a cutting edge account of the research and methodology that is creating new understandings for education research, policy and practice. Over two volumes, the handbook addresses educational research in six essential components: Section 1: Understanding Research Section 2: Planning Research Section 3: Approaches to Research Section 4: Acquiring Data Section 5: Analysing Data Section 6: Reporting, Disseminating and Evaluating Research Featuring contributions from more than 50 of the biggest names in the international field, The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research represents a very significant contribution to the development of education.

Facial recognition technology is one of the defining surveillance technologies of our time, and as the technology continues to develop it is urgently important to consider the ways in which it amplifies and reconfigures power relations.While much of the critical work on facial recognition technology has focused on bias and accuracy, this book considers the social, cultural, and political implications of a surveillance technology poised to dramatically transform our experience of anonymity in shared and public space. Drawing on a series of case studies to explore how existing logics of digital surveillance are transformed when physical space is equipped with automated recognition, the book develops several defining concepts for understanding what this level of surveillance means for strategies of governance and control. Long the object of physiognomic calculations, the face, as subjected to automated forms of data collection, is now already being used to predict everything from people's future career success to their potential for criminality. Further, as the authors show, as "smart" cameras proliferate, society moves into a post-panoptic realm in which people are actually being watched all the time. This shift from surveillance scarcity to glut allows "pattern-of-life" analysis on a mass scale, aiding in the customization of both physical and informational environments at the level of the individual and enabling the ongoing replacement of human-to-human interactions with automated human-to-machine ones – a process the authors describe as a "social recession."

Facial recognition technology is one of the defining surveillance technologies of our time, and as the technology continues to develop it is urgently important to consider the ways in which it amplifies and reconfigures power relations.While much of the critical work on facial recognition technology has focused on bias and accuracy, this book considers the social, cultural, and political implications of a surveillance technology poised to dramatically transform our experience of anonymity in shared and public space. Drawing on a series of case studies to explore how existing logics of digital surveillance are transformed when physical space is equipped with automated recognition, the book develops several defining concepts for understanding what this level of surveillance means for strategies of governance and control. Long the object of physiognomic calculations, the face, as subjected to automated forms of data collection, is now already being used to predict everything from people's future career success to their potential for criminality. Further, as the authors show, as "smart" cameras proliferate, society moves into a post-panoptic realm in which people are actually being watched all the time. This shift from surveillance scarcity to glut allows "pattern-of-life" analysis on a mass scale, aiding in the customization of both physical and informational environments at the level of the individual and enabling the ongoing replacement of human-to-human interactions with automated human-to-machine ones – a process the authors describe as a "social recession."

The rise of digital technology is transforming the world in which we live. Our digitalized societies demand new ways of thinking about the social, and this short book introduces readers to an approach that can deliver this: digital sociology.Neil Selwyn examines the concepts, tools and practices that sociologists are developing to analyze the intersections of the social and the digital. Blending theory and empirical examples, the five chapters highlight areas of inquiry where digital approaches are taking hold and shaping the discipline of sociology today. The book explores key topics such as digital race and digital labor, as well as the fast-changing nature of digital research methods and diversifying forms of digital scholarship.Designed for use in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses, this timely introduction will be an invaluable resource for all sociologists seeking to focus their craft and thinking toward the social complexities of the digital age.

The rise of digital technology is transforming the world in which we live. Our digitalized societies demand new ways of thinking about the social, and this short book introduces readers to an approach that can deliver this: digital sociology.Neil Selwyn examines the concepts, tools and practices that sociologists are developing to analyze the intersections of the social and the digital. Blending theory and empirical examples, the five chapters highlight areas of inquiry where digital approaches are taking hold and shaping the discipline of sociology today. The book explores key topics such as digital race and digital labor, as well as the fast-changing nature of digital research methods and diversifying forms of digital scholarship.Designed for use in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses, this timely introduction will be an invaluable resource for all sociologists seeking to focus their craft and thinking toward the social complexities of the digital age.

Developments in AI, robotics and big data are changing the nature of education. Yet the implications of these technologies for the teaching profession are uncertain. While most educators remain convinced of the need for human teachers, outside the profession there is growing anticipation of a technological reinvention of the ways in which teaching and learning take place.Through an examination of technological developments such as autonomous classroom robots, intelligent tutoring systems, learning analytics and automated decision-making, Neil Selwyn highlights the need for nuanced discussions around the capacity of AI to replicate the social, emotional and cognitive qualities of human teachers. He pushes conversations about AI and education into the realm of values, judgements and politics, ultimately arguing that the integration of any technology into society must be presented as a choice.Should Robots Replace Teachers? is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of education and work in our increasingly automated times.

Developments in AI, robotics and big data are changing the nature of education. Yet the implications of these technologies for the teaching profession are uncertain. While most educators remain convinced of the need for human teachers, outside the profession there is growing anticipation of a technological reinvention of the ways in which teaching and learning take place.Through an examination of technological developments such as autonomous classroom robots, intelligent tutoring systems, learning analytics and automated decision-making, Neil Selwyn highlights the need for nuanced discussions around the capacity of AI to replicate the social, emotional and cognitive qualities of human teachers. He pushes conversations about AI and education into the realm of values, judgements and politics, ultimately arguing that the integration of any technology into society must be presented as a choice.Should Robots Replace Teachers? is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of education and work in our increasingly automated times.