Pedagogy and Learning with ICT: Researching the Art of Innovation

Bridget Somekh draws on her experience of researching the introduction of ICT into education to look at ICT development over the last twenty years. The book provides a fascinating, in-depth analysis of the nature of learning, ICT pedagogies and the processes of change for teachers, schools and education systems. It covers the key issues relating to the innovation of ICT that have arisen over this period, including: the process of change educational vision for ICT teacher motivation and engagement the phenomenon of ‘fit’ to existing practices systemic constraints policy and evaluation of its implementation students’ motivation and engagement the penetration of ICT into the home online learning and the ‘disembodied’ teacher.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: ICT in Education: Lessons from Experience 1. Using New Technologies for Teaching and Learning: The Passions, Frustrations and Achievements of Taking Part in Systemic Innovation Part 2: Challenges of Change: Introduction 2. The Human Interface: Hidden Issues in Computer-Mediated Communications Affecting Use in Schools 3. Supporting Information and Communication Technology Innovations in Higher Education Part 3: Challenges of Policy and Practice: Introduction 4. New Technology and Learning: Policy and Practice, 1980-2010 5. Taking the Sociological Imagination to School: an Analysis of the (Lack of) Impact on ICT on Education Systems Part 4: Research Methods for ICT in Education: Introduction 6. The Role of Evaluation in Ensuring Excellence in Communications and Information Technology Initiatives 7. Methodological issues in identifying and describing the way knowledge is constructed with and without ICT 8. Mapping Learning Potential: students’ conceptions of ICT in their world Part 5: Innovative Pedagogies with ICT: Introduction 9. Children Exploring a ‘Fun’ Web-site: Sites of Learning and Roles of Being 10. New Pedagogies for Transformative Learning with ICT

About the Author :
Bridget Somekh is Professor of Educational Research and Director of the Centre for ICT, Pedagogies and Learning at the Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Review :
‘I suggest that there is a need for this book, as it will present an overview of the developments and lessons learned. This will be of value to policy makers as well as to academics, ICT advisors, researchers, teacher educators and teachers. It would be of international interest. It would be of interest to undergraduate ICT specialists (e.g. BA(QTS)), but would probably be more appropriate on postgraduate MA, EdD and PhD study. Bridget has outlined the principal competitive books in the field - none of them take the historical overview that this one proposes. I would suggest that it would not date quickly, as it addresses a period of 20 years and issues of change in policy, thus raising interesting questions about what has been learned in terms of policy and developing research approaches. Bridget has an international reputation and has been a key actor in the field. I would use such a book in my undergraduate teaching, and recommend it on postgraduate courses. It would also be a useful resource for researchers in the field, by providing an overview of issues, methodologies and literature.’ Avril Loveless, University of Brighton, UK