Meneses, J. & Momino, J. (n.d.) "Digital inequalities in children and young people: A technological matter", Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/0/36/38359326.pdf [Accessed 18/03/2009].
In the past few decades many studies have led to consider youth and childhood as homogeneous groups, who are constantly in the process of becoming rather than being. The study of relationship between childhood and technology has been dominated for a long time by deterministic and simplistic theories. To study this relationship further the article aims to understand present and future consequences of the unequal division of technology between children and young people in the case of the internet.
The authors ask the question “is there sustained evidence regarding the effects of individual differences on the appropriation of the internet?" and look at what degree a young person's academic performance can be linked with their access to the internet, as well as sex, age and language. Specific attention is given to internet use for academic and leisure purposes and the authors propose a complex analysis to look at the relationship in depth.
The article concludes that better academics are more connected and use the internet for academic purposes as heavy internet users outside the school are better skilled. The question of digital inequality is not just technological, and must take social-construction processes into account. Therefore access to the internet responds to different ways of appropriation.
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
W8 - Converged Media: Article 5 Disagreements
In this article, I find little to disagree with as it is a well-researched albeit a hard-to-read article.
While those who have better access to the internet and use it more for educational purposes have better academic success, the article does not really discuss the performance of low-achieving students - only saying that the internet is not only more present in their lives. The internet allows people of all skills to learn at their own pace.
If heavy users of the internet outside school appear to be "better skilled" in basic digital practices, perhaps these heavy users include low-skilled academic users who may not do as much studying online, but learn digital practices through experience - in a vocational way, perhaps. Therefore these digital skills are reachable by all, and in a world where digital skills become increasingly more important, these skills may be just as valuable as academic merits.
While those who have better access to the internet and use it more for educational purposes have better academic success, the article does not really discuss the performance of low-achieving students - only saying that the internet is not only more present in their lives. The internet allows people of all skills to learn at their own pace.
If heavy users of the internet outside school appear to be "better skilled" in basic digital practices, perhaps these heavy users include low-skilled academic users who may not do as much studying online, but learn digital practices through experience - in a vocational way, perhaps. Therefore these digital skills are reachable by all, and in a world where digital skills become increasingly more important, these skills may be just as valuable as academic merits.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
W1 - Topic 2: Goebbels on radio and his relevance today...
From reading Goebbels' views on radio from the 1930s, it is clear that a lot of what we think today about radio and the internet is based on views from way back when. He sees radio as a transitional tool, blaming its previous failings to that of the lacklustre Weimar Republic. His vision is that radio can bring the masses together through social and political means regardless of class or stature, an "important intermediary... between the idea and the people". I agree with this statement. Radio was a huge technological advance and its power had previously not been used to its full potential in Germany.
I disagree with his notion that it is rarely possible to bring a "powerful stage or film presentation to the radio with no changes", as many popular radio series (eg. Little Britain) can be applied to visuals. Conversely, the audio of Fawlty Towers was used as a successful radio series and even released on CD, therefore it is very much possible. Radio is a great medium for all manner of broadcasts, however it needs to (and does) mix social with political, good with bad, and light-hearted with serious. Goebbels' views on radio are perhaps a little too idealistic for today's world, however they do offer some core insights. While the future of the world did not lie solely on radio, it perhaps did have a large part - especially with World War 2 which came after this speech.
Today, the internet is as revolutionary as radio was back in the 1930s. In the same way as radio back then, it has on one hand been seen as the end of face-to-face communication, the catalyst of piracy and the cause of children turning into couch potatoes. On another hand it is the key to all knowledge and offers instant communication with the world. As Goebbels observed with radio, the political benefits of the internet are astounding - as seen by the way it was used during the recent Presedential campaign, from serious political broadcasts to a parody of Obama doing Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" routine. The internet's benefits are down to the individual and there have been many opinions shared (such as the above) - but there are clear benefits for any user.
I disagree with his notion that it is rarely possible to bring a "powerful stage or film presentation to the radio with no changes", as many popular radio series (eg. Little Britain) can be applied to visuals. Conversely, the audio of Fawlty Towers was used as a successful radio series and even released on CD, therefore it is very much possible. Radio is a great medium for all manner of broadcasts, however it needs to (and does) mix social with political, good with bad, and light-hearted with serious. Goebbels' views on radio are perhaps a little too idealistic for today's world, however they do offer some core insights. While the future of the world did not lie solely on radio, it perhaps did have a large part - especially with World War 2 which came after this speech.
Today, the internet is as revolutionary as radio was back in the 1930s. In the same way as radio back then, it has on one hand been seen as the end of face-to-face communication, the catalyst of piracy and the cause of children turning into couch potatoes. On another hand it is the key to all knowledge and offers instant communication with the world. As Goebbels observed with radio, the political benefits of the internet are astounding - as seen by the way it was used during the recent Presedential campaign, from serious political broadcasts to a parody of Obama doing Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" routine. The internet's benefits are down to the individual and there have been many opinions shared (such as the above) - but there are clear benefits for any user.
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