Postdigital Disconnects: The Discursive Formation of Technology in Education

This book employs a critical discourse ethnographic approach to map the production of social meaning in digital media in education, drawing on insights from Switzerland to unpack the disconnects that arise in thinking postdigitally and ways forward for rethinking socio-cultural approaches. It highlights the ways in which educational discourse has promoted digital media as a means of justifying curriculum change, and explores how this rhetoric manifests itself in the combination of top-down policies, on-the-ground implementation, and the lived experiences of students outside the classroom. It also examines how digital education is shaped by platform capitalism, how young peoples experiences are disregarded in formal knowledge production, and how the prevalence of digital teaching and learning contributes to issues of access and inequality. The book demonstrates the need for literacy practices in postdigital education to interrogate the ways in which digital media and education are entangled in larger socio-political practices.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 22 March 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book employs a critical discourse ethnographic approach to meticulously map the intricate process of the production of social meaning in the realm of digital media within education. Drawing upon insights from Switzerland, it delves into the profound disconnects that arise in our thinking postdigitally and offers insightful pathways for reimagining socio-cultural approaches.

Rooted in Foucault-influenced discourse studies, the book sheds light on the ways in which educational discourse has increasingly embraced digital media as a tool for justifying curriculum changes. Through a meticulous analysis of data derived from policy documents, participant observation, and in-depth interviews, Mathier meticulously charts how this rhetoric manifests itself in the interplay of top-down policies, on-the-ground implementation, and the lived experiences of students beyond the classroom. In doing so, the volume uncovers broader gaps that exist in our understanding of the digital education landscape.

The book delves into the profound influence of platform capitalism on the shaping of digital education, highlighting how the experiences of young people are often disregarded in the formal knowledge production process. It also explores the ways in which the prevalence of digital teaching and learning contributes to issues of access and inequality. Through a critical discursive lens, Mathier compellingly demonstrates the urgent need for literacy practices in the postdigital era to critically interrogate the intricate entanglements between digital media and education within the broader socio-political context.

This book is a valuable resource for students and scholars engaged in critical discourse studies, critical literacy studies, digital communication, education research, and linguistic ethnography. It offers a rich tapestry of insights and perspectives that will deepen our understanding of the complex dynamics at play in the digital age and inspire us to reimagine education in more inclusive and equitable ways.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032257723