ICTlogy

Abstract:

Information and communication technology (ICT) is associated with unprecedented global flows of information, products, people, capital and ideas, connecting vast networks of individuals across geographic boundaries at negligible marginal cost. ICT is an important part of the policy agendas of OECD countries, with profound implications for education, both because ICT can facilitate new forms of learning and because it has become important for young people to master ICT in preparation for adult life. But how extensive is access to ICT in schools and informal settings and how is it used by students?

Drawing on data from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Are Students Ready for a Technology-Rich World? What PISA Studies Tell Us, examines:

• Whether access to computers for students is equitable across countries and student groups;
• How students use ICT and what their attitudes are towards ICT;
• The relationship between students’ access to and use of ICT and their performance in PISA 2003;
• The implications for educational policy.