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Beckman, Karley Dr

Senior lecturer in Digital Technologies for Learning

  • Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities - School of Education
  • Dean's Scholar Coordinator (School of Education) - School of Education

Overview

Karley Beckman is a Senior lecturer in Digital Technologies for Learning in the School of Education. Karley’s research explores children, young people and adult learners’ technology practice through a sociological framing to critically engage with issues of digital inequality, digital literacy and toward developing a theoretically informed understanding of the place of technology in our lives.

 

Karley has extensive experience in education, particularly in teaching about educational technologies in pre-service teacher education and postgraduate education programs. Her expertise in education spans across various contexts, beginning her career as a primary school teacher and now teaching in higher education.

Top Publications

Research Overview

  • Karley’s body of research, undertaken with colleagues both locally and internationally, involves a number of projects that explores children, young people and adult learners’ digital technology practice. This includes research:

    • Critical analysis of the uses of social media and learning applications and platforms within schools. This research uses a socio-technical lens to explore children, young people, families, teachers and principal’s understanding of data in these digital practices, specifically investigating issues of power, structure and agency.
    • Children and young people’s digital technology practice across school and their everyday lives. Bourdieu. Drawing on sociological theories to critically engage with issues associated with digital literacy and digital inequalities. This body of work included a study of secondary school students’ digital literacy and technology practices as they transition into post-school contexts. This project was awarded a Faculty of Social Sciences Early Career Researcher Grant (2019-2020).
    • Students and educators’ uses of digital technologies through their engagement with Makerspaces and STEM education. As part of the Future Makers Global Challenges Keystone Project (2019-2021), this research explores aspects of digital literacy development, engagement in STEM learning and developing supportive pathways into future STEM learning and careers.
    • University students’ technology practices and engagement in online learning and the role of self-regulation in online and blended learning contexts.

     

    Central to Karley’s body of research is a sociological framing to critically engage with issues of digital inequality, digital literacy and the use of digital data in schools toward developing a theoretically informed understanding of the place of technology in people’s lives. Through her work as an Associate Investigator in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Karley’s body of research will continue to investigate datafication and data literacy associated with children and young people’s digital practice as well as how families and schools may support and shape these practices.  Karley’s research endeavours to protect children’s digital rights and empower children and young people in their digital technology practices in a rapidly changing world.

Available as Research Supervisor

Selected Publications

  • Journal Article

    Year Title
    2022
    It takes more than an interest in STEM: students’ experience of transition to study in STEM disciplines at university
    Published In
    Research Papers in Education
    2019
    Engaging with Bourdieu’s theory of practice: an empirical tool for exploring school students’ technology practice
    Published In
    Technology, Pedagogy and Education
    2019
    Reproduction and transformation of students’ technology practice: The tale of two distinctive secondary student cases
    Published In
    British Journal of Educational Technology
    2019
    Self-regulation in open-ended online assignment tasks: the importance of initial task interpretation and goal setting
    Published In
    Studies in Higher Education
    2019
    The role of social cues in supporting students to overcome challenges in online multi-stage assignments
    Published In
    The Internet and Higher Education
    2018
    Conceptualising technology practice in education using Bourdieu’s sociology
    Published In
    Learning, Media and Technology
    2014
    Understanding students' use and value of technology for learning
    Published In
    Learning, Media and Technology

  • Book

    Year Title
    2021
    Teaching Making a Difference

  • Chapter

    Year Title
    2020
    Challenges with Designing Online Assessment to Support Student Task Understanding
    Published In
    Re-imagining University Assessment in a Digital World
    Publisher
    Switzerland
    2019
    The Myth of the Digital Native and What It Means for Higher Education
    Published In
    The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpyschology
    Publisher
    Oxford, England
    2018
    The Myth of the Digital Native and What It Means for Higher Education
    Published In
    The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpsychology
    Publisher
    Oxford University Press

  • Conference Paper

    Year Title
    2014
    Reconceptualizing technology as a social tool: A secondary school student case study
    Published In
    EdMedia World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2014

  • Other Publications

    Year Title
    2022
    Edtech is treating students like products. Here’s how we can protect children’s digital rights

Impact Story

Available as Research Supervisor

Potential Supervision Topics

    • Pre-service teachers or teacher’s digital literacy and learning design with digital technology
    • Young people’s experiences with technology inside and outside formal education settings
    • Higher education student's engagement in online learning
    • Higher education student's self-regulation in online learning
    • Datafication of schools and schooling

Advisees

  • Graduate Advising Relationship

    Degree Research Title Advisee
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) Student Digital Literacy and post-university transition: Control, Alt, Delete Cook, Henry
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) Changing Attitudes to the Utilisation of ICT as a Tool for the Development and Expansion of Literacy Skills Hilder, Sarah

Education And Training

  • Doctor of Philosophy, School of Education, Secondary school students' technology practices in their everyday lives and at school 2015
  • B.E., Faculty of Education 2003 - 2006

Teaching Overview

  • Karley is a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Wollongong. Informed by her work as a primary school teacher, research and professional relationships with primary schools, she teaches mainly in the area of educational technologies in pre-service teacher education. She has taught in the Masters of Education, Masters of Teaching, Bachelor of Primary Education, and Bachelor of Physical and Health Education programs, in the following subjects areas:
    • Educational technology for teaching and learning 

    • Educational psychology 

    • Curriculum and pedagogy.

Keywords

  • Education; educational technology; sociology of education; online learning; self-regulated learning; theory of practice

Top Publications

Research Overview

  • Karley’s body of research, undertaken with colleagues both locally and internationally, involves a number of projects that explores children, young people and adult learners’ digital technology practice. This includes research:

    • Critical analysis of the uses of social media and learning applications and platforms within schools. This research uses a socio-technical lens to explore children, young people, families, teachers and principal’s understanding of data in these digital practices, specifically investigating issues of power, structure and agency.
    • Children and young people’s digital technology practice across school and their everyday lives. Bourdieu. Drawing on sociological theories to critically engage with issues associated with digital literacy and digital inequalities. This body of work included a study of secondary school students’ digital literacy and technology practices as they transition into post-school contexts. This project was awarded a Faculty of Social Sciences Early Career Researcher Grant (2019-2020).
    • Students and educators’ uses of digital technologies through their engagement with Makerspaces and STEM education. As part of the Future Makers Global Challenges Keystone Project (2019-2021), this research explores aspects of digital literacy development, engagement in STEM learning and developing supportive pathways into future STEM learning and careers.
    • University students’ technology practices and engagement in online learning and the role of self-regulation in online and blended learning contexts.

     

    Central to Karley’s body of research is a sociological framing to critically engage with issues of digital inequality, digital literacy and the use of digital data in schools toward developing a theoretically informed understanding of the place of technology in people’s lives. Through her work as an Associate Investigator in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Karley’s body of research will continue to investigate datafication and data literacy associated with children and young people’s digital practice as well as how families and schools may support and shape these practices.  Karley’s research endeavours to protect children’s digital rights and empower children and young people in their digital technology practices in a rapidly changing world.

Selected Publications

  • Journal Article

    Year Title
    2022
    It takes more than an interest in STEM: students’ experience of transition to study in STEM disciplines at university
    Published In
    Research Papers in Education
    2019
    Engaging with Bourdieu’s theory of practice: an empirical tool for exploring school students’ technology practice
    Published In
    Technology, Pedagogy and Education
    2019
    Reproduction and transformation of students’ technology practice: The tale of two distinctive secondary student cases
    Published In
    British Journal of Educational Technology
    2019
    Self-regulation in open-ended online assignment tasks: the importance of initial task interpretation and goal setting
    Published In
    Studies in Higher Education
    2019
    The role of social cues in supporting students to overcome challenges in online multi-stage assignments
    Published In
    The Internet and Higher Education
    2018
    Conceptualising technology practice in education using Bourdieu’s sociology
    Published In
    Learning, Media and Technology
    2014
    Understanding students' use and value of technology for learning
    Published In
    Learning, Media and Technology

  • Book

    Year Title
    2021
    Teaching Making a Difference

  • Chapter

    Year Title
    2020
    Challenges with Designing Online Assessment to Support Student Task Understanding
    Published In
    Re-imagining University Assessment in a Digital World
    Publisher
    Switzerland
    2019
    The Myth of the Digital Native and What It Means for Higher Education
    Published In
    The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpyschology
    Publisher
    Oxford, England
    2018
    The Myth of the Digital Native and What It Means for Higher Education
    Published In
    The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpsychology
    Publisher
    Oxford University Press

  • Conference Paper

    Year Title
    2014
    Reconceptualizing technology as a social tool: A secondary school student case study
    Published In
    EdMedia World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2014

  • Other Publications

    Year Title
    2022
    Edtech is treating students like products. Here’s how we can protect children’s digital rights

Impact Story

Potential Supervision Topics

    • Pre-service teachers or teacher’s digital literacy and learning design with digital technology
    • Young people’s experiences with technology inside and outside formal education settings
    • Higher education student's engagement in online learning
    • Higher education student's self-regulation in online learning
    • Datafication of schools and schooling

Advisees

  • Graduate Advising Relationship

    Degree Research Title Advisee
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) Student Digital Literacy and post-university transition: Control, Alt, Delete Cook, Henry
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) Changing Attitudes to the Utilisation of ICT as a Tool for the Development and Expansion of Literacy Skills Hilder, Sarah

Education And Training

  • Doctor of Philosophy, School of Education, Secondary school students' technology practices in their everyday lives and at school 2015
  • B.E., Faculty of Education 2003 - 2006

Teaching Overview

  • Karley is a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Wollongong. Informed by her work as a primary school teacher, research and professional relationships with primary schools, she teaches mainly in the area of educational technologies in pre-service teacher education. She has taught in the Masters of Education, Masters of Teaching, Bachelor of Primary Education, and Bachelor of Physical and Health Education programs, in the following subjects areas:
    • Educational technology for teaching and learning 

    • Educational psychology 

    • Curriculum and pedagogy.

Keywords

  • Education; educational technology; sociology of education; online learning; self-regulated learning; theory of practice
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Research Areas