Nagging, noobs and new tricks - students' perceptions of school as a context for digital technology use

While digital technology is an integral feature of contemporary
education, schools are often presumed to constrain and compromise
students’ uses of technology. This paper investigates students’
experiences of school as a context for digital technology use.
Drawing upon survey data from three Australian secondary schools
(n = 1174), this paper considers the various ways in which students
use digital devices and applications “in school” and “for school”. After
highlighting trends and differences across a range of digital devices
and practices, the paper explores the ways in which students perceive
school as a limiting and/or enabling setting for technology use. The
findings point to a number of ways that schools act to extend as well
as curtail student engagement with technology. This paper concludes
by considering the possible ways that schools might work to further
support and/or enhance students’ technology experiences.