ICT in Swedish Schools 1984 - 2004: How computers work in the teachers- world

For over twenty years government initiatives have promoted the use of computer/ICT in Swedish schools. This paper, based on national evaluations, briefly describes experiences about these processes, from 1984 to 2004. Discussed are the actors, from outside the school arena, who sat in motion the campaigns and processes at both macro and micro levels. It is concluded that the involvement of teachers at an early stage and a combination of time, technology and the culture of schools are basic conditions for a successful innovation of ICT in school

Teachers and computers : Teachers' computer usage and the relationship between computers and the role of the teacher, as described in international research

This doctoral dissertation includes two main works and a comprehensive summary: Jedeskog, G. 1996: Lärare vid datorn. Sju högstadielärares undervisning med datorer 1984-1994. (Teachers at Computers. Seven upper compulsory school teachers´ teaching with computers in 1984-1994.) SkapandeVetande, Linköpings universitet. ISBN 91-7871-664-0. (in Swedish) Jedeskog, G. 2000: Ny i kl@ssen. Förhållandet mellan lärarroll och datoranvändning beskrivet i internationell forskning. (New in Cl@ss. The relationship between computers and the role of the teacher, as described ininternational research.) ISBN 91-646-1473-5. (in Swedish) The comprehensive summary is written in English: Teachers and Computers, Uppsala University, Department of Educatiom 48 pp. ISBN 91-506-1439-8. The first work was presented and defended in 1996. The second work, New in Cl@ss, is summarised here: For about fifteen years now, there have been computers in the schools meant for instructional use. The focus of this study is to describe and analyse how the relationship between computers and the role of the teacher has been treated in international scholarly literature, 1988-1998. The empirical study has two aims: To outline and analyse the contents of the texts with regard to what is happening to the role of the teacher, i.e.the work and deeds of the teacher, in a time when computers and IT are being introduced and used, or not used,in teaching. To outline and analyse, using the selected texts, how the research field of computers and the role of the teacheris now being moulded. The analysis of the texts is based on three theoretical platforms; House's innovation theory, the actors-networktheory and a micropolitical perspective. In these theories the importance of power, participation and conflict isemphasised. Results show that three variants of the role of the teacher in connection with computer usage stand out: theteacher as a link between the pupil and the computer, as a technician and delegating routine work to thecomputer. The role of the computer can be observed as a rival, as an 'alarm clock', as a mediator of contacts, as anobstacle to contacts and as a replacement for the school. An analysis of the research area shows that it is possible to distinguish four categories of texts; texts with noreference to earlier research and texts with references to research on processes of innovation and reform, onknowledge and learning and on relationship between school and society

ICT - an ally and an alien The role of ICT in Swedish popular adult education organisations

This article is focused on Swedish folk high schools and study associations as organisational settings (and not explicitly at teaching efforts and educational activities). It concerns results from a research project about introducing and implementing information and communication technology (ICT) in these value based organisations. Our research has mainly been conducted through interviews with people engaged on different organisational levels. In this article empirical results are analysed in relation to actor-network theory (ANT). Human and non-human actors are linked together in a web of relationships referred to as an actor-network. Interaction among actors, contradictory roles of ICT and relations to essential values in these organisations are discussed

Ways to use ICT in schools to optimize the impact on teaching and learning

The European eLearning Forum for Education 2 (ELFE2) is a project initiated by the ETUCE (European Trade Union Committee on Education) and builds on the conclusion of its predecessor ELFE1. ELFE2 aims, as ELFE1, to contribute to a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of using ICT in education. It identifies ways used to optimize the benefits of ICT in education. To explore how ICT can be used to support teaching and learning two schools each in Denmark, England, Latvia, Poland, and Slovenia were selected based on information that indicated that they were regarded nationally as schools with an advanced ICT practice. The idea behind this selection is that by studying schools with what is experienced as an advance practice it will be possible to get some hints about problems and challenges other schools will be faced with. ELFE2 indicates that a number of ways are used in the schools to optimize the positive impact of ICT. Most of these ways are perceived by teachers and students as positive, but there are also factors that make the picture more complex. Some factors seem to be an obstacle for the introduction of ICT in the schools

Innovative use of ICT in schools based on the findings in ELFE project

The European e-Learning Forum for Education (ELFE) is a project initiated by the ETUCE (European Trade Union Committee on Education). An important objective of the project has been to study good experiences with implementing the use of ICT in schools. This objective has been broken down in seven operational research questions. Three of these questions will be discussed in this article: (1) What difference does the use of ICT make in schools where ICT is intensively used for instructional/pedagogical purposes? (2) How are the students influenced by this different way of teaching as compared to the traditional classroom education, both individually and as a collective? 3) What factors influence the intensive pedagogical use of ICT? The ELFE study applied a case study approach. Three innovative schools in each of five European countries (Denmark, England, Germany, Norway and Portugal) were purposively selected. Data were collected via questionnaires, interviews, observations and school documents. The findings resulting from the ELFE schools case studies illustrate that the implementation of ICT for teaching and learning may influence the functioning of schools in a number of ways. One can also conclude that students like working with computers and that they have no ‘instrumental’ problems. A number of factors seem to influence the successful implementation of ICT at school level such as a good infrastructure, a clear vision, policy and strategy. A crucial factor is support from national, regional and local authorities, as well as from the school leadership and parents