Using and creating knowledge with new technologies: a case for students-as-designers

Abstract

While the last decade has been marked by widespread advocacy for integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) across school curriculum, teachers' understandings of the nature of electronic literacies in the learning process have received far less attention. This has been the case despite the accelerated growth, miniaturisation and convergence of new media, all of which have accentuated the need for educators to understand how student learning in digital environments might be engaged and enhanced. In this paper, our focus is on how working with electronic literacies can open up new ways of learning in schools. We identify some key challenges and opportunities for designing classroom tasks to promote the development of effective digital learning through the construct of 'students-as-designers'. Further, we explore possible implications of this construct for the agency of teacher and student as both strive to use and create knowledge in digital contexts.