Abstract:

It has been argued that having a body of common knowledge would enable children to function as fully rounded citizens and that as some, particularly those from poorer working class backgrounds, were not absorbing this at home, they needed to be taught such knowledge in schools, without which they would fall further and further behind. It has also been argued, and shown through research, that learners need knowledge and facts in order to engage with higher level learning, and that such facts and knowledge are best learned through teacher-led instruction. Drawing on previous studies, the paper reflects on the role that education technology plays in addressing these issues, and evidence is presented linking it to the effectiveness of given teaching methods, the acquisition of knowledge and social class. Amongst its conclusions, the paper argues that the impact of education technology is to increase social division and will continue to do unless educational considerations are given more priority over technology considerations. The paper also argues that there should be a restriction in the use of technology in the classroom until learners have acquired a given, or set amount, of knowledge such that they would be in a position to be able to benefit more fully from the use of technology, and acquire knowledge more readily and quickly.

Keywords:

Technology, teaching methods, literacy, social class.