Student use of digital technologies in and out of school

The aim of this research is to describe how students' experiences of technology outside of school differ from their experiences in school. It is expected that there will be a difference in students' technology use in each environment and by providing levels for this use a comparison and measure of the differences can be made. Technology has changed the world around us, business and industry require workers to have new skills to operate and take advantage of the new opportunities that technology offers in the knowledge economy. Educators and schools aim to equip their students with skills that will be useful to them in the future. Are there schools that are better able to utilise a student's informal learning and close the gap between the two environments? By identifying the informal learning now taking place by students as they use digital technologies as part of their everyday lives, and the learning with technology taking place in school, it will be possible to see if the level of mismatch correlates with student disengagement and retention rates. The research will conclude by considering what students' current use of technology may mean for education in the future.