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Internet-Competence of pupilsActivity-Types, Interests, and Search Practices exemplified in the Context of Political Information and Governmental Administration in the 8th Grade of Austrian Schools

University of Salzburg, Danube University Krems, Demokratiezentrum (Centre for Democracy), Vienna

Presenter: Dr. Ursula Maier-Rabler (University of Salzburg)

www.icts.uni-salzburg.ac.at

III EAVI International Conference25-26 Nov 2009, MadridPanel: Minors, Youth, and the Media

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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Project Partners

1. Dr. Peter Parycek, MScHead of Center for E-GovernmentDonau-Universität Kremshttp://www.donau-uni.ac.at/egovernment

2. Mag. Gertraud Diendorfer, CEODemokratiezentrum Wien (Centre for Democracy, Vienna)http://www.demokratiezentrum.org

3. Dr. Ursula Maier-RablerAcademic Director of ICT&S CenterUniversity of Salzburghttp://www.icts.uni-salzburg.at

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg Folie 3

Study Design1. Supported online survey n=379

2. Search practise log analysis n=172

3. 17 Schools (11 Hauptschulen/Secondary-Middle Schools, 6 Gymnasien/Secondary-High Schools)

4. 8 Lower Austria, 3 Salzburg, 5 Vienna

5. 11 ICT focus, 6 no special focus

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Tue Austrian School System(simplified)

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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University

Secondary (High School) (Gymna-sium)

High School

Apprentice- ship

Kinder-garden

Primary School (Volks-schule)

Secondary (Middle) School (Haupt-schule)

0-3 3-6 6-10 10-14 14-18(19) 18 +

14

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Result Dimensions

1. Communication versus Information2. Peers as source for trust and competence3. Online and alone at home4. Internet-potential & learning cultures5. Cultures of participation & participative learning6. Digital Divide7. Technology & Girls             8. Research(In)Competence9. Monopolization

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Communication versus Information

• 14 years old use the Internet predominately for entertainment and socializing. Significant differences regarding gender and school type.

• The Internet is not yet established as ‚serious‘ learning and working environment

• „Digital Natives“ are using the Internet limited for socializing and entertainment

• Selected general results:• Watching movies, music videos, clips: 44% very often, 28% often• Surfing in communities / social networks: 52% very often, 20% often• Download music, software, images, movies, ring tones: 28% very often, 20%

often• Internet for learning for school: 9% very often, 15% often• Writing my own blog: 7% very often, 9% often

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Peers as source for trust and competence• The end of experts and the rise of peers • In respect to the Internet, adults (parents and teachers)

are not considered as experts concerning Internet use and are not included into usage practices

• Youth consider the Internet as a way to communicate and play with their peers

• Society leaves it up the the youth to acquire the indispensable capabilities for using the dominant societal information and communication infrastructure.

• Youth usually learn how to use the Internet by themselves (72%) • 30,1% say that they have learned using the Internet from friends and 38% use

the Internet together with friend• 22% were taught how to use the Internet by their parents, 18% got help from

teachers

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Online and alone at home

• Although the Internet is considered as everyday infrastructure and increasingly dominating our cultural skills, youth does not get the required societal support.

• 64% of the 14 years old use the Internet on a daily basis, 24% several times per week. More than half are convinced that they cannot live without the Internet anymore.

• Although the Internet is meanwhile widely used in schools, it is not yet considered as learning infrastructure nor has the potential of the Internet for learning been made clear to pupils.

• In most families there are no rules for using the Internet (62%). Only 10% of the young people are confronted with rules concerning certain content (predominately boys), the rest of the rules related to time restrictions.

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Internet-Potential & Learning Cultures

• Education must incorporate the potential of Web 2.0 and implement new learning cultures

• Study results show the dominance of networks and communities

• ‚Networker‘ is the dominating activity type (besides entertainment orientation and production orientated). Social Networks are important for identity development.

• Networked learning and network based learning are not (yet) elements of regular school education

• 52% of 14 years old pupils do not participate in blogs, wikis, and forums: wasted potential for new learning

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Cultures of participation & participative learning

• 24,5% are generally interested (strong interested + interested) in politics

• Girls and secondary-middle school dramatically less• Political interest is still male (35,3%) and higher education (32,4%)

biased! • Most politically interesting are ‘rights of youth’ and ‘media’, while

current Austrian politics and the political system in general are the least interesting spheres.

• Most imaginable (political-participative) activities are posting and starting a blog, besides participating in an event or a demonstration / rally

• Usage of the potential of the Internet in respect to participation and democracy is undeveloped, also within ‘Digital Natives’: issues like privacy, participation, threats and benefits for democracy must become regular elements of education in schools

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

The Digital Divide is alive

• Against the political rhetoric (at least in western countries), that the digital divide is overcome and the diffusion of ICTs is reaching all groups of society:

• Girls are still disadvantaged• Education still matters • Immigration background decides !

• Throughout the study significant differences regarding secondary-middle school and secondary-high school can be shown.

• The education system is challenged! Positive discrimination of the disadvantaged: girls, immigrants

• The early segregation into school types (at the age of 10) reinforces this dynamic!

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Technology & Girls

• Technology retard girls• Current technology still privileges boys.

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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Total Boys Girls Haupts. Gymn.

Age when today 14 years old used first computer & Internet

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Research(In)Competence

• Skilled and experienced Net-Generation lacks in sophisticated search capabilities

• Only a very small part of the resources/sources of the Internet is actually noticed and therefore used.

• Students were given a specific research task• Most 14 years old search with search engines or in

wikipedia (88 resp. 85%)• Only a few go to special organizations or expert sites

(23%)• Some go to the websites of mass media (18%)• 40% ask parents or friends (25%)• Asking / consulting specific blogs (11%) and using

instant messaging for direct questions online (13%)• What is not found by Google doesn’t exist !

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Monopolization

• The overwhelming majority in the study started the search with only one source: Google

• Netlog is more popular among 14 years old in Austria than facebook !

• In general only a few sources are used: Google, Wikipedia, MSN

• Boys go to youtube, netlog, google, girls prefer facebook, msn, uboot, myspace, yahoo.

• In terms of political information, related websites of parties and governments do not invite youth and remain unknown

• A vast field for Internet and Webtraining in schools!

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Further results:

• Concrete usage in specified subjects in schools• Analysis of research tasks and logfile analyses of surf

progressions• Break by activity types: networkers, entertainment-

oriented, productions-orientated• Interpretations and recommendations for Austrian

political education policies

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|Presented by Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, Salzburg

Research report published in January 2010Title:

Internetkompetenz von SchülerInnen. Aktivitätstypen, Themeninteressen und Rechercheverhalten in der 8. Schulstufe in Österreich am Beispiel des Themenfeldes Politik – Staat – Verwaltung.Editors: Diendorfer, G./ Maier-Rabler, U. / Parycek, P.Authors: Diendorfer, G; Maier-Rabler, U.; Neumayer, Ch.; Parycek, P.; Ponocny Selinger, E.; Wirth, M.Krems/Salzburg/Vienna, 2010

Available online on January 25, 2010 @

http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/egovernmenthttp://www.icts.uni-salzburg.athttp://www.demokratiezentrum.org

The report will be available in German language only.

© Ursula Maier-Rabler, ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg

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Thank you for your attention!