Students’ use of personal technologies in the university classroom: analysing the perceptions of the digital generation

Faculty frequently express concerns about students’ personal use of information and communication technologies in today’s university classrooms. As a requirement of a graduate research methodology course in a university in Ontario, Canada, the authors conducted qualitative research to gain an in-depth understanding of students’ perceptions of this issue. Their findings reveal students’ complex considerations about the acceptability of technology use. Their analysis of the broader contexts of students’ use reveals that despite a technological revolution, university teaching practices have remained largely the same, resulting in ‘cultural lag’ within the classroom. While faculty are technically ‘in charge’, students wield power through course evaluations, surveillance technologies and Internet postings. Neoliberalism and the corporatisation of the university have engendered an ‘entrepreneurial student’ customer who sees education as a means to a career. Understanding students’ perceptions and their technological, social and political contexts offers insights into the tensions within today’s classrooms.     

Useful Bookshops

Alphons Silberman, Handwörterbuch der Massenkommunikation und Medienforschung [CONCISE DICTIONARY OF MASS COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA RESEARCH] (Berlin: Spiess, 1982, 506 pp. in 2 vols.—DM 48,).

Jens A. Hertwig &; Oswald Schbberl Publizistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft: Forschungsdokumentation 1978-1980 [SCIENCE OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNICATION SCIENCE: DOCUMENTATION OF RESEARCH 1978-1980] (Bonn: Informationszentrum Sozialwissenschaften 1982. 375 pp.—DM 48,- Address: Lennestr. 50, D-5300 Bonn 1).

[BIBLIOGRAPHY OF AUSTRIAN MASS COMMUNICATION LITERATURE 1981]. (Vienna: osterreichisches Dokumentationszentrum fur Medien - und Kommunikationsforschung ADMAC 1982. XVI, 238 pp. —OS 150.- Address: Universitatsstr. 7, A-1010 Wien).

Franz Josef Eilers CHRISTIAN COMMUNICATION DIRECTORY ASIA Communicatio socialis. Beiheft 9. (Paderborn: Scii6ningh 1982. 1,036 pp.—DM 57,-).

Medien-Gesamtkonzeption. Bericht der Expertenkom mission fur eine Medien-Gesam tkonzep don [GLOBAL CONCEPTION OF THE MEDIA: REPORT OF THE COMMISSION OF EXPERTS ON A GLOBAL CONCEPTION OF THE MEDIA] (Bern: Eidgenossisches Justiz-und Polizeidepartement 1982. LXI, 703 pp.—free on request from: Eidgen6ssische Drucksachen-und Materialzentrale, CH-3000 Bern).

Dieter Breun, Geschichte der literarischen Zensur in Deutschland [HISTORY OF LITERARY CENSORSHIP IN GERMANY] Uni-TaschenbUcher. 1208. (Heidelberg: Quelle &; Meyer 1982. 264 pp.—DM 26,80).

Klaus Wernecke &; Peter Heller, Der vergessene Führer: Alfred Hugenberg, Pressemacht und Nationalsozialismus [THE FORGOTTEN LEADER: ALFRED HUGENBERG, PRESS POWER AND NAZISM] (Hamburg: VSA-Verl. 1982. 231 pp.—DM 19,80).

Rudiger Liedtke, Die verschenkte Presse: Die Geschichte der Lizensierung von Zeitungen Hach 1945 [THE PRESS GIVEN AWAY: THE HISTORY OF PRESS LICENSING AFTER 1945] VAS. 14. (Berlin: Verl. rtir Studium und Ausbildung in der Elefanten Press 1982. 240 pp.—DM 24,80. Publisher's address: Zossener Str. 32, D-1000, Berlin 31).

Peter Brummond &; Peter Schwindt, Der Pressmark in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Oiratliche Aufgabe und privatwirtschaftliche Organisation der Presse [THE PRESS MARKET IN THE FRG: PUBITC- RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY OF THE PRESS].

Heinz-Willi Gross, Die Deutsche Presse-Agentur: Historische Analyse ihrer Organisations - und Machstruktur, externer Interessenverflechtungen und der Position auf dem bundesdeutschen Nachrichtenmarkt [THE GERMAN PRESS-AGENCY: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF ITS ORGANIZATION, ITS STRUCTURE OF POWER, THE COMPLEXITY OF EXTERNAL INTERESTS AND THE POSITION ON THE GERMAN MARKET OF NEWS] (Frankfurt: Haag Herchen 1982. 260 pp.—DM 26,80).

Christine B. Koerner, Entwicklung und Konzeption der Presse in Albanien und der albanesischen Exilpress [DEVELOPMENT AND CONCEPTION OF THE PRESS IN ALBANIA AND OF THE ALBANIAN EXILE PRESS]. Albanische Forschungen. Bd. 22. (Munchen: Trofenik 1982. XI, 534 pp.—DM 88,-).

Manfred Hagen, Die Entfaltungpolitischer Öffentlichkeit in Russland 1906-1914 [THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL PUBLIC IN RUSSIA] = Quellen und Studien zur Geschichte des 15stlichen Europa. 18. (Wiesbaden: Steiner 1982. X, 402 pp.— DM 90,-).

Hans J. Kleinstuber, Rundfunkpolitik in der Bundesrepublik: Der Kampf urn die Macht Aber HeSrfunk und Fernsehen [BROADCASTING POLITICS IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC: THE QUARREL ABOUT THE CONTROL OF RADIO AND TV]. = Reihe Analysen. 32. (Opladen: Leske &; Budrich 1982. 184 pp.—DM 16,80).

Friedrich Kübler, Medienverfleichtung: Eine rechtsvergleichende Untersuchung der Marktstrukturprobleme privaten Rundunks [MEDIA CONCENTRATION: A COMPARATIVE LEGAL STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE MARKET STRUCTURE OF PRIVATE BROADCASTING] Beitrhe zum Rundf unkrecht. 26. (Frankfurt: Metzner 1982. 109pp.—DM 35,-).

Franz Ronneberger with Ulla Meister &; Manuela Reith, Neue Medien: Vorteile und Risiken fir die Struktur der demokratischen Gesellschaft und den Zusammenhalt der sozialen Gruppen. Eine Literaturstudie [NEW MEDIA: FAVOURS AND RISKS FOR THE STRUCTURE OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY AND THE UNITY OF SOCIAL GROUPS] Schriften der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur COMNET. 1. (Konstanz: Universiatsverlag Konstanz 1982. 133 pp.—DM 38,-).

Michael Geisler, Die literarische Reportage in Deutschland: Möglichkeiten and Grenzen eines operativen Genres [THE LITERARY REPORT IN GERMANY: POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF A WORKING GENRE] Mongraphien Literaturwissenschaft. 53. (KOnigstein: Scriptor 1982. X, 428 pp.—DM 49,80).

Kristina Zerges, Sozialdemokratische Press und Literatur: Empirische Untersuchung zur Literaturvermittlung in der sozialdemokrati-Presse 1876 bis 1933 [SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC PRESS AND LITERATURE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON LITERATURE IN THE SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC PRESS FROM 1876 to 1933](Stuttgart: Metzler 1982. IX, 319 pp.—DM 58,-).

Erich Strassner, Fernsehnachrichten: Eine Produktions-, Produkt- und Rezeptionsanalyse [TELEVISION NEWS: AN ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTION, PRODUCT AND RECEPTION] Medien in Forschung und Unterricht. Ser. A., Bd. 3. (Tilbingen: Niemeyer 1982. XIII, 531 pp.—DM 128,-).

Andreas-Rudolf Wosnitza, Fernsehnachrichten fur Kinder: Eine kritische Bestandsaufnahme [TELEVISION NEWS FOR CHILDREN: A CRITICAL SURVEY] (Frankfurt: R.G. Fischer 1982. VIII, 274 pp.—DM 29,80).

Sabine Jörg, ed., Spaß für Millionen: Wie unterhält uns das Fernsehen? [AMUSEMENT FOR MILLION&; HOW DOES TELEVISION ENTERTAIN US?] (Berlin: Spiess, 1982. 178 pp.-DM 19,80).

Petra S. Hartmann-Laugs &; A. John Goss, Unterhaltung und Politik im Abendprogramm des DDRFernsehens [ENTERTAINMENT AND POLITICS IN THE NIGHTLY PROGRAM OF TELEVISION OF THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC] Bibliothek Wissenschaft und Politik. 29. (KlIn: Verlag Wissenschaft und Politik 1982. 238 pp.-DM 24,-).

Günter Bentele &; Robert Ruoff [HOW OBJECTIVE ARE OUR MEDIA?) Fischer Taschenbuch. 4228. (Frankfur Fischer 1982. 335 pp.-DM 14,80).

Klaus Berg &; Marie-Luise Kiefer [MASS COMMUNICATION 2: A PANEL STUDY OF MEDIA USE AND GRATIFICATION 1964-1980] Sci enreihe Media Perspektiven. 2. (Frankfurt: Me ner 1982. 237 pp.-DM 19,80).

Horst 0. Walker [THE PRESS- AND INFORMATION OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: A STUDY ON PROBLEMS OF ORGANIZATION, COORDINATION AND CONTROL OF THE PRESS- AND PR WORK OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT] (Frankfurt: Haag &; Herchen, 1982. 455 pp.-DM 58,-).

Heinz-Dietrich Fischer Auslandskorrespondenten in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Status, Aufgaben, Arbeitsprobleme professioneller Presseberichterstatter aus Bonn [FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS IN THE FRG: STATUS, TASKS, PROBLEMS OF WORK OF PROFESSIONAL PRESS REPORTERS FROM BONN] Journalismus. N. F. 16. (Dusseldorf: Droste 1982, 270 pp.—DM 68,-).     

Regional networks in education: a case study of an Austrian project

This case study presents the development of networks in education, using the Austrian IMST (Innovations Make Schools Top) project as illustration. The regional networks are coordinated in every Austrian federal province by groups made up of teachers, representatives of the educational authorities, and members of academia. In the framework of the IMST project, all networks are monitored by a team of the Institute of Instructional and School Development at the University of Klagenfurt. This article presents theoretical concepts, network structures and network activities, as well as evaluation data. The overall challenge in trying to enable sustainable development of learning of those involved might be described as keeping momentum between network structures and network processes or, in other words, between stability and flow.     

The effect of sensory awareness training on interpersonal social distance in fourth graders

The use of sensory awareness training and the place of training (youth hostel or regular classroom) were systematically controlled in 4 fourth-grade classrooms. The Horace Mann-Lincoln Social Distance Scale was given. A 2-way nested analysis of variance produced significant effects of intervention training in both settings. This supports the hypothesis that sensory awareness and personal contact promote lessening of social distance within groups. The training methods described in this study can easily be adapted for use in elementary classrooms as a part of group activities and as a counseling technique.