Multimedia, interactivity and learning: some lessons from the United Kingdom

The paper considers what lessons might be learned from the past decade of investment in new technology in education in the United Kingdom. Research in the UK suggests that ICT is not, as many politicians and policy makers have suggested, an unproblematic educational miracle, and a number of studies have pointed to the disappointing returns and uncertain benefits of the massive investment in ICT in UK schools. The paper presents the views of researchers, teachers and teacher educators in the UK on the ways in which multimedia and ‘interactive’ learning can be provided by new technology in a way that enhances teaching and learning outcomes, and the limitations and negative aspects of some elements of ICT use which teachers have encountered. The outcomes suggest that there is a need for more nuanced thinking, more responsiveness to the needs and voices of teachers, and differential investment in new technology if the potential of ICT in education is to be realised.