Canada Research Chair in Sociocultural Issues of Digital Technology in Education

Learning with Digital Technology: Sociocultural Issues

To function in our society today, people need to master new technologies regularly—and the world of education is no exception. We expect students to know how to use computers both in and out of the classroom. When digital technology first became popular, there was a gap between lower- and higher-income students’ ability to gain access to technology. But today, the “digital divide” is more linked to how young people use it.

As Canada Research Chair in Sociocultural Issues of Digital Technology in Education, Dr. Simon Collin studies the relationships between students’ sociocultural backgrounds and their ability to learn with digital technology in and out of school. His work combines proven, rigorous collection and analysis methods that stem from recent technological developments.

Collin and his research team are researching the similarities and differences between students’ use of digital technologies in and out of school. They are examining how inequalities affect students’ abilities use digital technologies to learn. They are also analyzing how migrant and minority students use technology to integrate into their educational communities academically and linguistically.

Collin’s innovative work will allow us to better understand the relationships between students’ sociocultural profiles and their use of digital technologies. His research will help decision makers develop appropriate policies and educational programs, and will improve how young people use new technologies to learn.

Reference: www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/chairholders-titulaires/profile-eng.aspx?profileId=3323