Spring 2008
ISSN 1477-1241

Book reviews

Jan van Dijk: The Network Society (second edition)

2007, Sage Publications

Do you feel that technology is something that was invented in the last twenty years? Most of us take for granted the technology that already existed when we were born: TV, radio, telephone. Yet these are the technologies that still connect most of us to our wider societies. The telephone might now be mobile rather than landline (and capable of doing much more than make a call) but this is the starting point for van Dijk. He argues that just as we are connected to older technologies and take them for granted, so the new technologies of the ‘web society’ are becoming an integrated feature of the world around us. This engaging book questions what impact the rise of the Internet is having on face-to-face communication: is the computer complementing or replacing our relationships with each other? How robust are these technologies, who is governing them, who holds the power and who is excluded from this digital culture? He argues that the unease we sometimes feel in our 21st century digital divide is the growing pain of becoming a network society and that our information age is replacing the earlier mass society in economics, politics and society in general. The book suggests that digital networks are more than conduits of communication. What we have now is more than just email mimicking old fashioned letter writing: we have environments for social interaction which are only limited by our imagination. He suggests that ‘physical and virtual reality will link up’ (p242) and that what we see in social spaces such as Facebook and Second Life are just the beginning of this transformation of infrastructure. This book brings us the future and makes us really think about whether we are part of the information poor or part of the broadband elite.

Dr Helen Jones
Senior Learning and Teaching Fellow

 

Carolyn Staudt: Changing how we teach and learn with handheld computers

2005, Corwin Press, California

This book aims to provide reasons for using handheld computers instead of desktop computers as well as to give teachers detailed guidance on specific applications. The author has identified and tested a wide range of software which can be used on handheld computers and suggested curriculum applications. It has to be said that the book has limited direct application in the UK HE sector, because it is written by an American schoolteacher and is filled with practical examples for primary and secondary school teaching. However there are some interesting ideas and examples of useful software which might make it worth at least borrowing the book or reading particular chapters online.

In a short introductory chapter, the author gives five reasons for providing and using handheld computers in teaching: “equitable access, intuitiveness, portability, collaboration and seamless interactions”. She also points out that the price difference between desktop computers and handhelds means that every student can have one rather than sharing time on a desktop computer. These arguments probably apply equally in the HE environment.

Some of the more interesting suggestions which might cross over to HE would be:

  1. Using sensors (thermometers, pH meters, light, humidity, etc) connected to the handheld device to collect data directly into programs which can provide analysis. These tools can be useful both in the laboratory and in the field, and would allow students to collect data reliably in many different settings;
  2. Using special software to construct social science surveys with automatic coding and analysis integrated into the surveys – would allow students to perform fieldwork more easily (software: Social Survey by Currah consultants);
  3. There are various suggestions for using the handhelds for students to construct and monitor personal goals, which might be a useful integration with personal development plans and portfolios in the HE context (software: ;
  4. Various programs are mentioned which build basic numerical and language skills; could be useful particularly in Foundation Year applications or to support non-standard entrants;
  5. Using software which supports the development of decision trees is available; this allows the tutor to develop scenarios for students to work through in their own time (software: What-If Builder);
  6. Using software for constructing and monitoring checklists for groupwork (software: Pocket PC checklists by Vincent Collura)

In all cases it is said to be easy for students to send each other summaries of their work for comparison and discussion, which would be an important feature.

Audio applications such as podcasting are clearly also possible using handheld computers and the book specifically mentions the use of audio in field guides, although there is no particular guidance given for this kind of application.

The book was published in 2005 so technology can only have improved since it was released; handhelds are getting cheaper and the range of cheap or free software has increased. This could be a useful book to borrow to get some ideas if you are carrying out a pilot of the use of handhelds, something that hasn’t (as far as I know) happened yet at MMU, but you might get more UK HE-relevant information from JISC.

Rachel Forsyth
CeLT