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The growing use of the internet in education and its enormouspotential for the future raise important philosophical questionsabout, for instance, teaching and learning, equality and access,the structure of digitised knowledge or the social role ofeducation. Much depends upon how, and against what backgroundassumptions, these new technologies are used. This volumecritically explores key philosophical issues in the rise oftechnology in education, including assumptions about theinevitability of radical change, the virtues of networking, and theneed for adaptability in learning and employment. It also looks atthe growing practices of Distance Education and Open Learning aswell as on-site uses of the internet, examining the social andcultural dimensions to assess the genuine benefits foreducation.

While resisting easy utopianism, this volume is in no sensepessimistic. On the contrary, it highlights the genuine potentialof new technology to transform education, and its criticalimportance in global and political terms.