Authors: Hans Christian Arnseth, Ola Erstad, Libor Juhaňák, Jiří Zounek

Abstract (Full Text):

This paper deals with some issues that young people face in various contexts while learning in the digital age. Even though young people more commonly encounter digital technologies outside school than inside it, pedagogical research has focused mostly on school use of ICT. Hence a challenge arises to connect these two areas for a more complex understanding of the life and learning of young people. The introductory part of the paper examines the current state of research in ICT and shows that ICT should not be considered a modern didactic tool only. Subsequent parts discuss possible theoretical solutions of this matter and address some methodological questions of empirical research while also commenting on examples of research that go beyond the traditional way of researching ICT. In its conclusion, the paper explores questions related to theory, methodology and application of the complex research of youth and ICT described above. One of the aims of this paper is to create a discussion on pedagogical theory and research of youth learning aided by ICT and thus to motivate further theoretical and research activity in this area.