{"id":1054,"date":"2013-07-15T12:21:25","date_gmt":"2013-07-15T12:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/wfrc\/?p=240"},"modified":"2013-07-15T12:21:25","modified_gmt":"2013-07-15T12:21:25","slug":"latest-insights-digital-technology-learner-identities-and-school-to-work-transition-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/multidisciplinary\/2013\/07\/15\/latest-insights-digital-technology-learner-identities-and-school-to-work-transition-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Latest Insights: Digital technology, learner identities and school-to-work transition project"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Michaela<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Latest Insights into the Digital technology, learner identities and school-to-work transition project by Michaela Brockmann<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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We are an interdisciplinary working group at the Work Futures Research Centre at Southampton University. Funded through SIRDF (Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund), our aim is to explore the role of digital technology in the formation of learner identities and in school-to-work transitions. The project runs from February to December 2013.<\/p>\n

In the context of rapid technological innovation, it is understood that digital skills are of increasing significance in education and employment and, in turn, for national economic performance (e.g. BIS 2009).<\/p>\n

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\"Digital<\/a>Despite this, there is a debate about how to educate a digitally literate workforce. The British government has announced a thorough overhaul of the secondary school curriculum for IT, whilst there is concern across Europe (and beyond) that school leavers do not have the appropriate skills either for paid work or higher education. Many countries report shortages of highly skilled IT professionals.<\/p>\n

Attention to this area has been divided between those who focus on how digital technologies are (or are not) used to deliver<\/i> education and those concerned with the content<\/i> of secondary school education for digital skills. There is a gap between our understanding of how students learn with digital technologies and what they learn about these technologies. This project aims to begin a dialogue to overcome this separation.<\/p>\n

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The project has an international perspective, focussing initially on Germany and the UK. These countries provide an excellent point of comparison, as they face seemingly similar issues but are different in context and structure, particularly regarding vocational education.<\/p>\n

Questions include:<\/p>\n