Internet provision and use in secondary schools: the implications for design and technology

This paper describes the results of a survey, carried out in the summer of 1997, into Internet provision and use in secondary schools in Great Britain. These provide a detailed picture of Internet access and use in secondary schools that suggests that, in the majority of schools, the use of the Internet is at a very early and restricted level of use. The data collected have supported the development of an exploratory model describing the various types of Internet connectivity and the possible uses of them in schools. The steps that schools will need to take if Internet use is to become embedded in the curriculum are explored through this model, with reference to recent Government policies for a National Grid for Learning (NGfL). Some approaches to the use of the Internet within design and technology that are realistic within the constraints of limited access are reviewed. Looking to the future and the development of the NGfL, the paper concludes with suggestions for Internet based resources that can effectively support both teachers and their pupils in design and technology and asks what their implications for developments in connectivity, software and subject-specific content might be.