ABSTRACT
The tension between narrative and action is highlighted by Robertson’s ( 2007 ) observations of ‘Andy’, a history teacher. A confi dent user of technology and keen to harness the motivating potential of it, Andy began to deliver lessons in the school’s computer suite. However, rather than enhancing his teaching, Andy observed a shift in his practice, away from the history subject discourse to an IT technical discourse; established teacher/ pupil relationships were disrupted and the nature of the knowledge also appeared to be transformed. Robertson suggests that a formula is constructed in education policy of ‘learner + technology = transformed learner’, disguising the tensions created by introducing digital technologies into existing classrooms. Robertson identifi es problems with this policy: both technology and learner are homogenised, ignoring diversity in the user experience and types of technology; there is no unifying idea regarding the benefi ts of using ICT; the social space is transformed by ICT, often removing the teacher from the equation.
