Formal and informal use of handhelds by Australian and British students: A comparative case study

In this chapter, we discuss the capacity of mobile technology in facilitating young people's ubiquitous learning and socializing, both formally and informally. We report on a study of how young adolescents (12-13 year olds) in Australia and UK use handheld computers in formal (school) and informal (home) situations and their perceptions of the usefulness of these devices for their learning. The data show that entertainment activities with the handhelds dominate both school and home for both groups of students and that there is little continuity between the activities carried out in the school and activities in the home. We argue that schools have a responsibility to bridge the home-school learning and to support these students to become self-directed learners for lifelong learning. © 2011, IGI Global