[LINK] Computer literate school children

[ARTHUR,Evan]

Sam Hinton wrote:

I downloaded the report, but 450+ pages was too
much for me to read, and I suppose too much for most 
pollies/media/commentators, so the "savvy" part will come out and add to
the myth that children are somehow born naturally gifted in computing.

While sympathising with anyone facing information overload, I can't help
putting in a plug.  The report referred to is a sample study carried out as
part of the Annual Report on Australian Schools ie it involved all the State
and Territory systems and the Catholic and Independent sectors.  It offers
the only set of base line data currently in existence on computer
use/familiarity/attitudes to technology in Australian schools.    As with
all data, the next question is what does it mean?   

Sam asks what the lessons for policy are in the fact that students' ability
to use the Internet is more likely to be learnt at home than at school.
Good question.   Other good questions, just from the media release, are what
do we do about the fact that rural and remote and indigenous students are
less likely to have basic IT skills and what are the implications of the
gender differences in acquisition of IT skills?    

Contributions from the esteemed Link Institute would be most welcome.


Evan Arthur
Assistant Secretary
Literacy and Special Programmes Branch