Computer Literacy as Ideology

Goodson, Ivor; Mangan, J. Marshall

doi:10.1080/0142569960170105

Cited by 36 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…There are at least three reasons why we might be troubled by the paternalist vision. The first is its acceptance of what Goodson and Mangan (1996) have called the "computer literacy ideology". This consists of a set of widely-held but somewhat vague beliefs about IT that can be summarised as follows: computers are everywhere; jobs increasingly require computer skills; therefore everyone should learn about computers at school.…”

Section: Reflections On Paternalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visions of change: information technology, education and postmodernism

Conlon

2000

Brit J Educational Tech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The questions that dominate the discourse of IT in education are mostly at the technical or craft levels. Visionary questions relating to the purpose of education and the proper place of technology are not much discussed. This paper seeks to undermine the idea that such questions should be avoided. The context of postmodernist change is described and two contrasting visions of education are discussed. Each vision is a hypothetical but recognisable representation of certain trends in educational thinking. Each vision has appeal but also severe shortcomings. The paper concludes that unless teachers, learners and communities can articulate their own visions of educational change, new technology could take them into a future that they would never willingly have chosen.

show abstract

Section: Reflections On Paternalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visions of change: information technology, education and postmodernism

Conlon

2000

Brit J Educational Tech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Indeed, arguments for 'computer literacy' date back at least to the 1980s. Yet, as Goodson & Mangan (1996) have pointed out, the term 'computer literacy' is often poorly defined and delineated, both in terms of its overall aims and in terms of what it actually entails. As they suggest, rationales for computer literacy are often based on dubious assertions about the vocational relevance of computer skills, or about the inherent value of learning with computers, which have been widely challenged.…”

Section: Internet Literacy: From Access To Critical Understandingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Media Literacies: Rethinking Media Education in the Age of the Internet

Buckingham

2007

Research in Comparative and International Education

310

131

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article considers how media educators can respond to the new challenges and opportunities of the Internet, and of digital media more broadly. It begins by exploring the value and limitations of the notion of 'literacy' in this context. It argues that 'competence-based' definitions of literacy tend to neglect the social diversity of literacy practices, and to retain a narrow focus on 'information', and it suggests that a broader definition of literacy necessarily entails a more critical approach. It then moves on to consider the nature of digital literacy more specifically. It argues that definitions of digital literacy have tended to take a rather limited view of information, and of issues of reliability and bias, and it proposes a broader approach which recognises the social and ideological nature of all forms of mediated representation. Following from this, it then provides some concrete indications of ways in which media education approaches might be applied specifically to the analysis of the World Wide Web, using the established framework of 'key concepts' (representation, language, production, audience). Finally, it considers the potential of digital media production in the classroom as a means of promoting digital literacy. It distinguishes between the approach adopted by media educators and more instrumental or expressive approaches. It then considers the difficulties of such work in a context where a 'digital divide' in access to technology continues to exist, both within and between societies. It argues that the benefits of digital technology in this respect depend crucially on the pedagogic and social contexts in which such technology is used, for example, in the opportunities that are provided for collaborative production and for students sharing their work with a wider audience. The article concludes by arguing that digital literacy needs to be seen as part of a broader reconceptualisation of literacy, and of the use of technology in education.Over the past 20 years, there have been many attempts to extend the notion of literacy beyond its original application to the medium of writing. As long ago as 1986, one of the leading British researchers in the field, Margaret Meek Spencer, introduced the notion of 'emergent literacies' in describing young children's media-related play (Spencer, 1986), and the call for attention to 'new' or 'multiple' literacies has been made by many authors over subsequent years

show abstract

“…Amidst that tension, the imposition of computer courses in curriculum often comes from government mandates [13], leaving academics with the impression that technology education only serves economic interests. Those opposed to integrating computer literacy normally hold strong to one of two beliefs:…”

Section: Opposition To Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Generally Educated In The 21st Century

Hoar

2014

Proceedings of the Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

All undergraduate students, regardless of discipline, should be technologically literate. Graduates should be able to use computers effectively, and possess a rudimentary understanding of the theory and practice that makes our interconnected world possible. Unfortunately, a wide array of arguments have arisen that marginalize computer education, leaving students to educate themselves in the tools and theory of computing on their own, if at all. This paper draws from many studies related to computer literacy in university curriculum to articulate what type of integration are possible. It also breaks down arguments against computer literacy including the "digital native" myth and the conflation of "computer literacy" with "computer skills".

show abstract

Computer Literacy as Ideology

Cited by 36 publications

References 6 publications

Visions of change: information technology, education and postmodernism

Visions of change: information technology, education and postmodernism

Digital Media Literacies: Rethinking Media Education in the Age of the Internet

Generally Educated In The 21st Century

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About