Joseph Zajda & Donna Gibbs 
Comparative Information Technology 
Languages, Societies and the Internet

Comparative Information Technology: Languages, Societies and the Internet, which is the fourth volume in the 12-volume series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, offers a critique of the nexus between ICT and its impact on society, individuals and educational institutions. One of the most signification dimensions of globalisation has been the rapid development of information and communications technologies (ICTs). Our lives have been changed by this in numerous ways and the implications for education are en- mous. The ICTs have transformed the linguistic, cognitive and visual dim- sions of human communication, as well as our perceptions of the self, and social identity in the global culture. The ICTs have facilitated the development of new dimensions of digital literacy, such as blogging and sms messaging. In this sense, cyberlanguage continues to evolve by borrowing and adapting familiar words, coining new expressions, and embracing particular styles (Gibbs & Krause, 2006, 2007). However, information technology can be both empowering and disempowering. Individuals use the Internet, notebooks, and their Black Berries and communicate via email. If clothing is an extension of one’s skin, then the ICT has become an extension of our bodies. In a globalised world, linked through the Internet, a n- formed identity can lead to a multiplicity of identities, some contradictory to each other, and some taking place primarily in the virtual communities of cyberspace.

Table of Content

Comparative Information Technology: Languages, Societies and the Internet.- Abstract Tools and Technologies of Learning: An Evolving Partnership.- E-Learning in Schools: Making Successful Connections.- What is Needed For Global E-Learning in Higher Education.- Mobile Learning: The Significance of New Mobile and Wireless Communications Technologies for Education.- Connecting Schools to their Communities: The South-East Asian Experience.- Digital Literacy and Activity Systems in Adolescents.- Digital Literacy and Using Online Discussions: Reflections from Teaching Large Cohorts in Teacher Education.- Development of IT-Infrastructure for Rural Connectivity: A Pro-poor Approach to E-Governance for Rural Development in India.- Context Is Everything: An International Perspective of, and Its Challenges to, Research and the Evaluation of Educational Technology.