Abstract
This paper explores the management and outcomes of a specific model of intergenerational learning, concerned with student digital leader support in a number of secondary schools in England. A local educational partnership set up a student digital leader project late in 2011, which aimed to develop a range of skills and outcomes for both the digital leaders themselves and for a potentially wider variety of personnel within the schools. Five schools were involved in the project. The student digital leaders shared their digital technology expertise with others with less developed skills, including teachers and managers in these schools. The study reported in this paper explored ways that the digital leader initiative was implemented, identifying and analysing outcomes and issues arising. Evidence from informants and from the analysis of benefits arising indicates that the student digital leader initiative led to a variety of positive outcomes. A key finding and conclusion is that this form of initiative has involved some students who tend not to be involved in other leadership or school-wide activities. The initiative enables these students to contribute to the community, rather than just receiving from it; students become active contributors to, as well as receivers from, the educational system.
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Acknowledgments
The author thanks most sincerely the head teachers, lead teachers and students who were willingly and openly involved in this study and who provided invaluable evidence. Thanks particularly to Jill Purcell, Wolverhampton Local Education Partnership, who made this study possible. Individuals and schools in this report have not been named, to conform to ethical needs placed on reports of research of this nature—this should not be seen as devaluing the commitment and contribution played by all involved.
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Passey, D. Intergenerational learning practices—Digital leaders in schools. Educ Inf Technol 19, 473–494 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-014-9322-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-014-9322-z