The document outlines eight things that need to be done to make better sense of digital technology and education from a social science perspective. These include distinguishing rhetoric from reality, questioning what is truly new about new technologies, resisting technical fixes, carefully considering education and technology, building better research, looking backward as well as forward, acknowledging the politics of education and technology, and making technology a mainstream educational issue.

1. making sense of digital technology and education: a social science perspective Neil Selwyn London Knowledge Lab Institute of Education, University of London, UK [email_address] presentation to C-SAP e-Learning forum London 8 th July 2010 London Knowledge Lab

2. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

3. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

4. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

5. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

6. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

7. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

8. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

9. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

10. eight things we need to do …. 1. distinguish the rhetoric from the reality 2. ask what is really ‘new’ about new technology 3. resist the ‘technical fix’ 4. think carefully about education and technology 5. build a better body of research 6. look backwards as well as look forwards 7. acknowledge the politics of education and technology 8. make technology as a mainstream educational ‘issue’

12. making sense of digital technology and education: a social science perspective Neil Selwyn London Knowledge Lab Institute of Education, University of London, UK [email_address] presentation to C-SAP e-Learning forum London 8 th July 2010 London Knowledge Lab