Lisa Kervin

The 'digital natives' debate: A critical review of the evidence

The idea that a new generation of students is entering the education system has excited recent attention among educators and education commentators. Termed ‘digital natives’ or the ‘Net generation’, these young people are said to have been immersed in technology all their lives, imbuing them with sophisticated technical skills and learning preferences for which traditional education is unprepared. Grand claims are being made about the nature of this generational change and about the urgent necessity for educational reform in response. A sense of impending crisis pervades this debate. However, the actual situation is far from clear. In this paper, the authors draw on the fields of education and sociology to analyse the digital natives debate. The paper presents and questions the main claims made about digital natives and analyses the nature of the debate itself. We argue that rather than being empirically and theoretically informed, the debate can be likened to an academic form of a ‘moral panic’. We propose that a more measured and disinterested approach is now required to investigate ‘digital natives’ and their implications for education.

Authentic Learning Supported by Technology: Ten suggestions and cases of integration in classrooms

Technology use in classrooms is often employed for all the wrong reasons—such as convenience, pressure from school administrators, the belief that students need to be entertained, and so on. In this article, the authors argue that technology presents the opportunity to employ powerful cognitive tools that can be used by students to solve complex and authentic problems. In order for this to occur, however, technology needs to be used in theoretically sound ways, and it needs to be used by students rather than teachers. Ten practical ways are presented for technology to be used effectively and meaningfully in school classrooms that are based on principles of authentic learning. La technologie, support d’un apprentissage authentique: 10 suggestions et exemples d’intégration dans les classes On emploie souvent la technologie dans les classes pour toutes sortes de mauvaises raisons telles que la facilité, la pression des administrateurs scolaires, la croyance qu’il faut distraire les élèves et ainsi de suite. Dans cet article, nous avançons que la technologie offre la possibilité d’utiliser des outils cognitifs puissants que les étudiants peuvent utiliser pour résoudre des problèmes complexes et authentiques. Pour que cela se produise, il faut cependant utiliser la technologie de façon théoriquement saine et il faut que ce soit les étudiants qui l’utilisent plutôt que les professeurs. Nous présentons 10 modes pratiques d’utilisation effective et pertinente de la technologie dans les classes basés sur les principes de l’apprentissage authentique. Authentisches, von Technik unterstütztes Lernen: 10 Vorschläge und Integrationsmöglichkeiten im Unterricht Der Gebrauch von Technologie im Unterricht wird oft mit all den falschen Argumenten begründet, wie Annehmlichkeit, Druck der Schulaufsicht, dem Glauben, dass Studenten unterhalten werden müssen und so weiter. In diesem Beitrag zeigen wir, dass Technologie Möglichkeiten eröffnet, mächtige von den Studenten zur Lösung komplexer Probleme nutzbare kognitive Werkzeuge anzuwenden. Damit das jedoch passieren kann, muss die Technologie in theoretisch einwandfreier Weise genutzt, außerdem sollte sie mehr von den Schülern als von den Lehrern angewendet werden.Wir präsentieren zehn praktische, auf den Prinzipien des authentischen Lernens beruhenden Möglichkeiten zum effektiven und sinnvollen Technologiegebrauch im Schulunterricht. La tecnología como soporte de un aprendizaje auténtico: 10 sugerencias y casos de integración en las aulas Muchas veces se usa la tecnología en las aulas por muchas malas razones como la comodidad, la presión de los administradores escolares, la creencia de que los alumnos deben ser divertidos y así sucesivamente. En este artículo, apuntamos que la tecnología ofrece la posibilidad de aprovechar poderosas herramientas cognitivas, que los estudiantes pueden utilizar, para solucionar problemas complejos y auténticos. Sin embargo, para llegar a esto, la tecnología debe ser utilizada de manera teóricamente sana y tienen que ser los estudiantes, más bien que los profesores, los que tienen que utilizarla. Presentamos 10 formas prácticas de utilizarla de una manera significativa y efectiva en aulas basadas en los principios del aprendizaje auténtico.

Effectiveness of alcohol media literacy programmes: a systematic literature review

Alcohol media literacy is an emerging field that aims to address the link between exposure to alcohol advertising and subsequent expectancies and behaviours for children and adolescents. The design, rigour and results of alcohol media literacy programmes vary considerably, resulting in a number of unanswered questions about effectiveness. To provide insight into some of these questions, a systematic literature review of alcohol media literacy studies was conducted. The review was guided by the following research question: What considerations are needed to develop an effective school-based alcohol media literacy programme? On the basis of a critical synthesis of 10 interventions (published in the period 1997 to May 2014), our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the descriptive, methodological and outcome characteristics of this small body of significant research. The review provides considerations for future alcohol media literacy programmes, including the need for an interactive pedagogical approach within the naturalistic school setting, implementation fidelity and a holistic approach to programme evaluation, a means for maintaining relevance, consideration of gender differences, relevance for an international audience and use of follow-up and longitudinal data.

Branded food references in children's magazines: ‘advertisements’ are the tip of the iceberg

While childrens magazines ‘blur the lines’ between editorial content and advertising, this medium has escaped the calls for government restrictions that are currently associated with food advertisements aired during childrens television programming. The aim of this study was to address significant gaps in the evidence base in relation to commercial food messages in childrens magazines by systematically investigating the nature and extent of food advertising and promotions over a 12‐month period.

Connection, Challenge, and Change: The Narratives of University Students Mentoring Young Indigenous Australians

In this article, we highlighted the stories of university student mentors who are involved in the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME). The AIME program works with young Indigenous school students, at primary and secondary school levels, to encourage continued participation in education and to consider university as a viable life goal. The AIME program is explored from the perspective of the university students who are selected to mentor young Australian Indigenous school students. Adopting a narrative inquiry approach, the article presents richly descriptive insight into the motivations of these mentors and highlights how this experience has impacted upon them. While the research presented focuses on narratives of mentors, the data indicate that the AIME program employs an innovative approach to mentoring that enhances cultural understanding for mentors.

Using Computers to Support Children as Authors: An Examination of Three Cases.

The changing nature of literacy is well documented within the literature, challenging educators to examine their pedagogies in light of the needs of learners in the current climate. The development and creation of non‐linear texts within primary classrooms is of current interest as they reflect the types of texts accessed and created by users of technology and afford children opportunities to make connections between their in and out of school literacy experiences. The authors observed children over extended periods as they collaborated with teachers and peers to author non‐linear texts for a range of purposes. Three case studies will be reported, providing examples of how three cohorts of primary school children (one lower primary, one middle primary, one upper primary) responded to the challenge to create texts using Information and Communication Technology and the specific learning observed. What is interesting about these cases is the process that the children engaged with as they planned, constructed and evaluated their texts. This paper describes this process and the implications it presents for what we understand about the pedagogy of writing, the creation of text and the opportunities for providing classroom literacy experiences aimed at supporting and fostering student learning.

Digital play: Exploring young children's perspectives on applications designed for preschoolers

This study builds on and contributes to research on digital play with young children. Previous research has examined digital play from different viewpoints, but no studies have specifically addressed young children’s perspectives as they interact with applications (apps) that have been designed specifically for their age group. While our review of the literature provides insights from investigations of young children’s perspectives, there is limited research on preschoolers’ views on the apps designed for them by adults. In this article, we discuss young participants’ perspectives on the apps that they engaged with in our research. In particular, we emphasise the importance of various contexts for digital play in relation to meaningful conversations and social interactions. Our findings provide insights about how children choose to engage in digital play and through this, pose implications for the design of apps.

Developing a model for a self-study professional learning community

Although the term self-study may suggest an individual teacher educator studying his or her own practice, most self-studies involve pairs or small groups of teacher educators working together in what is often called collaborative self-study. An extension of an informal collaboration is to formalize self-study as professional learning for teacher educators. This means that a group of teacher educators and other academics can study their practices over an extended period of time and share experiences as a community. This chapter identifies and explains the nature of a professional learning framework that underpins a group of academics becoming a self-study community. The framework is developed from previous research with teachers in schools and is adapted for self-study of academic teaching practices. The framework is based on the dynamic interaction of three professional learning influences: (1) content, (2) process, and (3) conditions that support such a community. Development of the framework is based on the progress of a group of ten academics, mostly teacher educators, over a 12-month period. Refinement of the framework is supported by case studies of the experiences of two of the participants in the self-study community.

Toward a Sociomaterial Understanding of Writing Experiences Incorporating Digital Technology in an Early Childhood Classroom

This article examines the resources, tools, and opportunities children enact as they engage with teacher-devised writing experiences within their classroom space. We begin with discussion about classroom writing time from the perspective of both the teacher and children of one Grade 1/2 composite class. We also reveal resources within the classroom space to consider the expertise available during writing times. We then examine a 5-week unit that focused on multimodal text construction. Using optical flow computer vision analysis to examine the movement of children during four video-recorded independent writing instances, we provide commentary about how the classroom writing experiences have been interpreted as the use of space, resources, and interactions come to the forefront. In taking this approach, this article will explore learning to write from a sociomaterial perspective, as we investigate the operation of the classroom.

Development of media in the spotlight: A school-based alcohol media literacy program

Introduction and Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate patterns of supplement use among male university students, who have been identified as high consumers of these substances. Design and Methods: An online survey investigating supplement use was conducted over four weeks. Participants were sent a link to the survey via email and through posts on the online homepages of units from the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University. Results: Sixty-one males completed the survey (median age 21 years). All participants had used at least one supplement in their lifetime, with most having used legal supplements; the most commonly used supplement was sports drinks (80%), followed by protein (80%), and vitamins and minerals (80%). Although no participants reported use of anabolic-androgenic steroids, 18% would consider using them in the future. Motivations for use differed according to substance; for instance, vitamins and minerals were used for general health purposes while creatine was used to gain muscle. Friends were a common source of information about supplements (57%), followed by online (36%) and a supplement store staff member (22%). Participants reported few negative side effects from supplement use. Discussion and Conclusions: Supplement use is common among this group, and some indicate intentions to use more serious substances such as steroids. This study presents valuable findings about supplement use habits and patterns among male university students. However, more research is needed among this population to determine whether body image and exercise habits can influence supplement use.Abstract presented at the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference 2014, 9-12 November 2014, Adelaide, AustraliaAbstract presented at the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference 2014, 9-12 November 2014, Adelaide, AustraliaIntroduction and aims: contemporary research examining drinking behaviour highlights the importance of implicit processes in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol consumption. By definition, implicit attitudes are formed through experience with a target object. It is argued that implicit attitudes toward alcohol may be ambivalent because consuming alcohol can produce various negative (e.g. feeling nauseous) and positive consequences (e.g. feeling relaxed). Therefore the aim of the current study was to examine the ambivalent nature of implicit alcohol-related attitudes. Design and methods: participants (N= 343, M= 25.72 years) completed a Single-Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) in which they were required to classify alcohol-related words with positively- and negatively-valenced words. The reaction times (RTs) for each pairing were then calculated and compared. Implicit ambivalence was operationalised as having similar RTs for classifying alcohol-related words with positive words and classifying alcohol-related words with negative words. Results: RTs for pairing alcohol with positive words (M= 752ms) were similar to those pairing alcohol with negative words (M= 716ms), suggesting implicit ambivalence toward alcohol consumption. ANOVAs revealed a pattern of results suggesting that drinking more standard drinks in a single drinking episode produced greater feelings of implicit ambivalence. Discussion and conclusions: these findings suggest that individuals hold both positive and negative implicit evaluations toward alcohol consumption. Furthermore, implicit attitudes toward alcohol may become more ambivalent as individuals consume more alcohol. This suggests that greater alcohol consumption may produce more experiences with both positive and negative consequences and lead to the development of implicitly ambivalent attitudes.