Skip to main content

Learners in a Digital Society: Digital Practices of Young People and Their Teaching Implications

  • Chapter
New Digital Technology in Education
  • 7206 Accesses

Abstract

Effective teaching with technology requires an understanding of the characteristics of the students being taught. This chapter describes students in contemporary classrooms. These students are increasingly getting more and easier access to technology, particularly mobile technologies, and at a very young age. The kinds of technologies they access, the purposes they put them to and the circumstances under which they access those technologies have implications for teaching.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ackerman, A. S., & Krupp, M. L. (2012). Five components to consider for BYOT/BYOD. In Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digital Age, CELDA 2012 (pp. 35–41). Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED542652.pdf

  • AICTEC (2009). Digital education revolution implementation roadmap. Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/eduwiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=students10:research_docs:der_implementation_roadmap.pdf

  • Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). (2013). Smartphones and tablets: Take-up and use in Australia. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/Library/researchacma/Digital-society research/communications-report-2011-12-series

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, S.B. (2006). A privacy paradox: Social networking in the United States. First Monday, 11(9). Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1394/1312

    Google Scholar 

  • Butterman, E. (2012). Planning for BYOD. Scholastic Administrator, 12(1), 55–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cerwall, P. (2012). Report shows rapid smartphone uptake and doubling of mobile data traffic. Retrieved December 1, 2012, from http://www.ericsson.com/news/121121-report-shows-rapid-smartphone-uptake-and-doubling-of-mobile-data-traffic_244159017_c

  • Cheung, C. M., Chiu, P. Y., & Lee, M. K. (2011). Online social networks: Why do students use facebook? Computers in Human Behavior, 27(4), 1337–1343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Combes, B. (2008, 3–7 August). The net generation: Tech-savvy or lost in virtual space? In 37th Annual Conference of the IASL: World Class Literacy and Learning Through School Libraries. Berkeley, CA: University of California at Berkeley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahlstrom, E., Walker, J. D., & Dziuban, C. (2013). ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology, 2013. Boulder, CO: Educause Center for Applied Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, L. (2013). Teaching in higher education: Can social media enhance the learning experience? Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_276225_en.pdf

  • Gosper, M., Malfroy, J., & McKenze, J. (2013). Students’ experiences and expectations of technologies: An Australian study designed to inform planning and development decisions. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 39(2), 268–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimes, S., & Fields, D. (2012). Kids online: A new research agenda for understanding social networking forums. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, New York. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/jgcc_kidsonline.pdf

  • Hanewald, R. (2008). Confronting the pedagogical challenge of cyber safety. Australian Journal for Teacher Education, 33(3), 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsi, S. (2007). Conceptualizing learning from the everyday activities of digital kids. International Journal of Science Education, 29(12), 1509–1529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ipsos MORI. (2007). Student expectations study: Key findings from online research and discussion evenings held in June 2007 for the Joint Information Systems Committee. Bristol, England: Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ito, M., Horst, H., Bittanti, M., Boyd, D., Herr-Stephenson, B., Lange, P. G., et al. (2008). Living and learning with new media: Summary of findings from the digital youth project. Chicago: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jukes, I., & Dosaj, A. (2006). Understanding digital children (DKs). Teaching & learning in the new digital landscape. Retrieved May 15, 2014, from https://edorigami.wikispaces.com/file/view/Jukes+-+Understanding+Digital+Kids.pdf

  • Junco, R., Heiberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27(2), 119–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, G., Dalgamo, B., Bennett, S., Gray, K., Waycott, J., & Judd, T., et al. (2009). Educating the net generation: A handbook of findings for practice and policy. Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.netgen.unimelb.edu.au/downloads/handbook/NetGenHandbookAll.pdf

  • Kennedy, G., Judd, T. S., Churchward, A., Gray, K., & Krause, K. (2008). First year students’ experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives? Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(1), 108–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leung, L. (2006). Stressful life events, motives for Internet use, and social support among digital kids. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 10(2), 204–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingstone, S., & Brake, D. R. (2010). On the rapid rise of social networking sites: New findings and policy implications. Children & Society, 24(1), 75–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lomas, N. (2013). IDC: Tablet sales grew 78.4% YoY in 2012—Expected to pass desktop sales in 2013, portable PCs in 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014, from http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/27/idc-tablet-growth-2012-2017/

  • McMahon, M., & Pospisil, R. (2005). Laptops for a digital lifestyle: The role of ubiquitous mobile technology in supporting the needs of millennial students. Paper presented at EDUCAUSE Australasia 2005: The next wave of collaboration, Auckland, New Zealand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesch, G., Talmud, I., & Quan-Haase, A. (2012). Instant messaging social networks: Individual, relational and cultural characteristics. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29(6), 736–759.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mok, J. C. H. (2012). Facebook and learning: students’ perspective on a course. The Journal of the NUS Teaching Academy, 2(3), 131–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng, W. (2008). Self-directed learning with web-based sites: How well do students’ perceptions and thinking match with their teachers? Teaching Science, 54(2), 26–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng, W. (2012a). Empowering scientific literacy through digital literacy and multiliteracies. New York: Nova Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng, W. (2012b). Can we teach digital natives digital literacy? Computers & Education, 59(3), 1065–1078.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Keeffe, G. S., & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800–804.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oblinger, D., & Oblinger, J. L. (2005). Educating the Net Generation. Retrieved March 15, 2013, from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/pub7101.pdf

  • Ofcom (2013). Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report. Retrieved March 8, 2014, from http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/media-literacy/october-2013/research07Oct2013.pdf

  • Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raines, C. (2002). Connecting generations: The sourcebook for a new workplace. Berkeley, CA: Crisp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raths, D. (2012). Are you ready for BYOD? THE Journal, 39(4), 28–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rideout, V. (2013). Zero to eight: Children’s media use in America 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2014, form http://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-to-eight-childrens-media-use-in-america-2013

  • Salaway, G., Caruso, J. B., & Nelson, M. R. (2007). The ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology, 2007. Boulder, CO: Educause Center for Applied Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salaway, G., Caruso, J. B., & Nelson, M. R. (2008). The ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology, 2008. Boulder, CO: Educause Center for Applied Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salen, K., Torres, R., Wolozin, L., Rufo-Tepper, R., & Shapiro, A. (2011). Quest to learn: Developing the school for digital kids. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos, I. M. (2013). Key challenges associated with bringing personal mobile devices to the classroom. In QScience Proceedings (12th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning [mLearn 2013]). Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://www.qscience.com/doi/pdfplus/10.5339/qproc.2013.mlearn.16

  • Saylor, R. (2011). Passing the torch. In 2010–2011 mobile learning report, Abilene: Abilene Christian University. Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://issuu.com/abilenechristian/docs/acu_ml_report_2010-11

  • Stavert, B. (2013). BYOD in schools literature review 2013. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: DEC.

    Google Scholar 

  • University of Phoenix College of Education (2014). K-12 teachers uncertain about how to connect with students and parents via social media. Retrieved March 28, 2014, from http://www.phoenix.edu/news/releases/2014/01/new-survey-shows-teachers-uncertain-on-social-media.html

  • Urista, M. A., Dong, Q., & Day, K. D. (2009). Explaining why young adults use MySpace and Facebook through uses and gratifications theory. Human Communication, 12(2), 215–229.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ng, W. (2015). Learners in a Digital Society: Digital Practices of Young People and Their Teaching Implications. In: New Digital Technology in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05822-1_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics