How the Computer went to School - Australian Government Policies for Computers in Schools, 1983-2013 (Paperback)

Governments everywhere have advocated the use of computers in schools as an essential learning technology. Over the years, the view that computers can enhance student learning has gained broad acceptance. When schools promote the use of the latest computing technology in their classrooms - such as tablets - they signal technological sophistication and the academic success which computers, allied with learning, are assumed to bring. However, the association of computers with success in school is neither a natural nor an inevitable phenomenon. Over more than 30 years, particular governments, individuals, and organizations have actively promoted computers as learning technologies. Enormous amounts of money and time have been spent promoting specific kinds of educational computing, as well as developing distinct policies by which these might be implemented. One important outcome has been to entrench the view that all school children will benefit equally from access to computers, overlooking inequities associated with differing patterns of use. How the Computer Went to School gives an account of the origins and development of the computer industry in the US, and shows how these have influenced educational computing in Australia. Based on the author's PhD thesis, the book explores Australian governmental policy visions which prioritize the economic benefits of educational computing for the nation, and it asks questions about the proper role of the computer in education and Australian society more generally. (Series: Digital Cultures)