This paper explores the varied use of information technologies (ITs) such as the computer and Internet for self-education, highlighting how these technologies can facilitate and suppress such learning opportunities throughout the adult population. Based on data drawn from a large-scale study of adults in the West of England and South Wales, the…

Based on survey data from 1222 undergraduate students studying at UK higher education institutions, this article addresses students' engagement with the internet as a source of academic information for their studies. In particular the article explores how academic use of the internet is patterned by a range of potential influences such as…

Analysis of British survey data on 5,885 adults showed that 42% reported learning participation in the last 3 years; 36% reported none since leaving school. Access to information/communications technology was associated with age, class, and educational attainment. Technology did not itself increase participation among those already inclined not to…

This paper is based on 1001 home-based interviews with UK adults. It describes their varying patterns of participation in lifelong learning and their use of technology for learning and leisure. It finds that 37% of all adults report no further education of any kind after reaching compulsory school leaving age. This proportion declines with each…

Reports on a study of 267 primary children in five schools in South and Mid Wales. Examines their use of information and communications technology (ICT) in school and at home using a combination of interview and questionnaire data. Data reveal that although the vast majority of children are making some use of computers in schools, patterns of…

Discusses educational computer advertising developed by information and communications technology (ICT) firms in the United Kingdom, arguing that such advertisements present a disempowering view of teachers, which may well impact teacher use of instructional technology. The paper highlights four dominant themes: ICT as problematic and problem…

Policy discourse about lifelong learning has shifted from economic imperative to social and moral pursuit and intrinsic good. Despite this, the emphasis on technological solutions in Information Age discourse subjugates social, civic, and political concerns to an economic competitiveness rationale. (Contains 66 references.) (SK)

Examined the depiction and positioning of teachers, technology, students, and information technology (IT) firms in educational information and communications technology advertisements, discussing the paucity of teacher representation within advertisements and the recurring representation of teachers and technology on a dream/nightmare basis, where…

Over two and a half years, the authors conducted a detailed survey of 1101 adults in England and Wales, 100 follow-up interviews and year-long case studies of 25 families. The data have led them to construct a rich and often thought-provoking picture of how adults are using information and communications technologies (ICTs) in their day-to-day…

Computer anxiety stems from several factors: psychological (locus of control, fear), sociological (isolation, dehumanization, stereotypes), and operational (negative experiences). Trainers should confront expectations and preconceptions, focus content toward the learner, and tailor the learning environment. (SK)

Within the hyperbole surrounding information and communications technologies (ICTs) and lifelong learning, our understanding of what learning activities ICTs are actually being used for throughout the adult population remains under-developed. Based on a household survey of 1001 adults in the west of England and South Wales, this article considers…

This book sheds light on the ways in which adults in the twenty-first century interact with technology in different learning environments. Based on one of the first large-scale academic research projects in this area, the authors present their findings and offer practical recommendations for the use of new technology in a learning society. They…

England's 1.6 billion-pound National Grid for Learning initiative represents an unprecedented government commitment to educational use of information and communications technology (ICT). NGfL will integrate ICT into all schooling areas via increased funding, teacher training, and simulation of a systemwide "ICT culture." Implications and…

Discussion of information and communications technology in the United Kingdom focuses on contrasting government rhetoric concerning post-compulsory electronic learning with an analysis of data from the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education survey. Results suggest that access to ICT does not in itself make people more likely to…

Making information and communications technology part of the social, cultural, and economic fabric of people's lives is about initiating deep-rooted societal changes. Adult education initiatives alone are unlikely have a radical effect on those changes. (JOW)