The use of ICT in education and the promotion of social inclusion: a critical perspective from the UK

Selwyn, Neil

doi:10.1590/S0101-73302008000300009

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Articles • Educ. Soc. 29 (104) • Oct 2008 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-73302008000300009 copy

The use of ICT in education and the promotion of social inclusion: a critical perspective from the UK

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This paper provides a critical overview of current policy efforts to use technologies to enhance educational outcomes and promote social inclusion in education. Using the UK as an example the paper identifies two trends in current policymaking, i.e. i) educational provision focussed policies which seek to use technologies to promote equality educational opportunities and outcomes; and ii) technological access focussed policies which seek to use education to ensure social inclusion in terms of technological opportunities and outcomes. Through a discussion of the social, economic and cultural limitations of these approaches the paper considers a number of issues which lie at the heart of more effective technology and education in the future.

ICT; Internet; Digital divide; E-learning; Social inclusion

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Income/ socio-economic status	Lower levels of income are consistently shown to be associated with digital divides concerning access to and use of a range of ICTs.
Education	Lower levels of education are also shown to be associated with digital divides concerning access to and use of a range of ICTs.
Family structure	Family composition, adult caring responsibilities (i.e. for an older parent) tend to be associated with less contact with ICT. Conversely, thepresence of school-age children within the household tend to increase contact with ICT.
Age	Increased age associated with decreased levels of access, limited modes of use and patterns of connecting. Age differences are especially pronounced in those individuals aged 60 years and over.
Race	Some US studies report lower levels of access and use amongst African-American and Latino populations However, many studies report that then racial differences in ICT use disappear when issues of income and education are taken into consideration.
Gender	Whilst gender differences were associated with digital divides during the 1990s, more recent academic research seems to indicate declining gender differences in ICT access and basic levels of engagement.
Geography/ rural-urban location	Levels of ICT use generally less in rural and inner-city areas, although often differences are not evident once other socio-economic variables are taken into account.
Culture / Social participation	Communities and individuals with higher levels of social contacts tend to make more use of ICTs.