ABSTRACT
The shared perceptions of the world will always be dominated by certain shortcuts, phrases and words that seem to summarize received wisdom. It is inevitable as a way of sharing understanding, but every such word or phrase demands examination. The concept of change is one of the cliches of our time, applied by politicians, not so much as an observation as a command. The electronic age can be interpreted as culture shock. When set up against traditional institutions and established modes of thinking, culture shock is one way of interpreting the student experience of school. To summarize the changes of the time into simple contrast is tempting, but untrue. The real effects of culture on individuals are more subtle and more profound. When we think of the models of schooling and contrast them with access to ICT we can detect the differences between the use of print technology and all it is meant to imply, and the new digital experience.
