Education and Technology: Key Issues and Debates [Paperback]

Neil Selwyn in Education and Technology: Key Issues and Debates defines and succinctly recounts many of the recurring themes that have emerged as technology has been introduced into education. In this comprehensive summary published in 2011 Selwyn frames his chapters around seemingly simple questions related to digital technologies within our educational systems, namely: 1) What do we mean by “education” and “technology”? 2) Does technology inevitably change education? 3) What can history tell us about education and technology? 4) Does technology improve learning? 5) Does technology make education fairer? 6) Will technology displace the teacher? 7) Will technology displace the school? In the last chapter he takes a look into the future of technology and education. The agent in most of the questions is technology. Can technology act on its own? Perhaps Selwyn has made this polemic choice to show that “there is a clear need to develop a greater sense of realism” (Selwyn, 2011, p. 176) regarding the power of technology in transforming education. Indeed, in the final chapter he iterates the utmost importance of “what people do with technologies” within “the social structures and relationships that surround these activities and practices”. (p. 164)

Although technology has had a place in educational policy and practice for over 100 years, there has been an increase in it's availability and usage since the introduction of the personal computer, the microcomputer, and the Internet. In his book "Education and Technology: Key Issues and Debates," Selwyn--a lecturer at the Institute of Education at the University of London--targets six key issues and areas of concerns related to the use of technology in the classroom. These issues ranges from technology "replacing" the teacher or the school to whether technology makes education more fair or whether it improves learning. Depending on the chapter topic, Selwyn draws on research from education and other areas (e.g. psychology, history) to provide a comprehensive picture of the concerns, pros, and cons related to that topic in an effort to inform the reader and allow him or her to draw their own conclusions.

Overall, I felt that Selwyn provided a fair and accurate overview of a complex topic and I believe he supported his ultimate point that there is no straightforward answer to any of these questions. His intention seems to provide an unbiased overview of the pros and cons of a particular viewpoint and I feel he does this fairly. My only criticism is that Selwyn, possibly due to page limit constraints, was not able to go into significant depth on any of the issues. However, his book provides a valuable contribution to the education technology literature by highlighting key points and debates on issues related to the use of technology in education.

This book discusses key debates dealing with the issues of education and technology. Selwyn goes in depth to the pros and cons of each of the arguments presented in his book. He discusses technology and its ability to influence the modern education system. The debates that are discussed in this book include: Does technology improve learning? Does technology make education fairer? Will technology displace the teacher? Will technology displace schooling? The debates that are brought up are very thought provoking and a lot of times overlooked by educators and administrators in all fields related to education. I believe that this book is a good read for all teachers and administrators that question the use of technology or its ability to truly enhance the educational opportunities of their students. The debates that are discussed allow the reader to truly see both sides of the argument and decide for themselves what they believe to be true. This book helps display the perspectives of the learner, the teacher, and the education institution and also considers the political, commercial and societal effects as they relate to education and technology.
I personally felt that this was a great book because I have recently been debating a lot about the benefits of technology in education. This book helped me see the pros and cons of the use of technology and its potential as a mode of transformation of the education system. The debates that were discussed were very philosophical in nature and there are really no cut and dry answers to the questions that Selwyn poses in his book. If you are looking for a book that is going to give you cut and dry what you are supposed to believe then this is not a book for you. But if you are looking for a read that will truly expand your understanding and thought process around the use of technology in the education system then this is a book for you. I have given this book a rating of a four because I personally found it a very useful tool in influencing my current and future practices as an educator. The debates that are discussed in this book bring up many definitions, theories, and ideologies that are relevant to all educators. If someone is looking for a book debating about cyber bullying, internet privacy, and how technology can be utilized to enhance the learning of children with special needs then this is not the book to read. The amount of issues dealing with technology and education are far too in depth and numerous to completely discuss in one book but I feel that Selwyn did a good job of portraying the major philosophical debates that are driving the modern and future influence of technology to the educational system.