Abstract

The growing use of the internet in education and its enormous potential for the future raise important philosophical questions about, for instance, teaching and learning, equality and access, the structure of digitised knowledge or the social role of education. Much depends upon how, and against what background assumptions, these new technologies are used. This volume critically explores key philosophical issues in the rise of technology in education, including assumptions about the inevitability of radical change, the virtues of networking, and the need for adaptability in learning and employment. It also looks at the growing practices of Distance Education and Open Learning as well as on-site uses of the internet, examining the social and cultural dimensions to assess the genuine benefits for education. While resisting easy utopianism, this volume is in no sense pessimistic. On the contrary, it highlights the genuine potential of new technology to transform education, and its critical importance in global and political terms.