Digital natives: Exploring the diversity of young people’s experience with technology

The concept of ‘digital natives’, based on assumptions of high technology

literacy of the current generation of students, has triggered extensive discussion

and debate in relation to technology use in higher education. Whilst

several previous studies have demonstrated that generational views of technology

literacy and engagement are not useful to the planning of future teaching and

learning developments in higher education (Helsper and Eynon 2009; Kennedy

et al. 2008; Bennett and Maton 2010), the digital natives discussion has eventually

led to research offering a greater insight into the reality of students’ engagement

with technology. From the non-empirical foundations of the digital natives concept

through initial quantitative studies and now towards new in-depth qualitative

studies, a greater understanding is being developed of the diversity that exists

around students’ adopt and use of technology. This chapter reports on a study

which aims to further the understanding of the motivations, attitudes and practices

of young people in relation to technology. Eight student case studies are presented

which provide an in-depth exploration of the stories behind students’ choices and

uses of technology across the contexts of their everyday life and academic study.