Student dual citizenship in digital and physical worlds

In 2012 the Australian Computer Society (ACS) commissioned a study into school student's use of computer technology and their views on a career in technology. The results have been published by the University of Canberra as "Digital Technology and Australian Teenagers: Consumption, Study and Careers" (by Karen Macpherson, May 2013).

Macpherson reports that young people have a type of “dual citizenship”: in physical space and digital space, with different language and mores. Educators then have to help students bridge these cultures. I suggest this might be though of in a similar way to overseas students who have English as a second language. In a way this has always been the case, as student learn the language and culture of higher education.

In teaching university students via the Internet, I find that they know how to use a computer (these are computer science students), but not necessarily how to use it to have a structured professional discussion.

Dr Karen Macpherson will be speaking about her research at the Australian Computer Society Branch Forum in Canberra,  6 August 2013. I will be speaking at the 12 November ACS ICT trends in Education" (I am a member of the ACS and teach in the ACS Certified Computer Professional Program).