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Literature reviews

Reviews commissioned from outstanding academic researchers to offer a route map through the vast body of research into education and technology.

A limited number of hard copy reviews are available to buy (£13 each - e-mail info [at] futurelab [dot] org [dot] uk for details) but all can be downloaded in pdf format.

Updates on e-assessment , creativity and citizenship now available

  • Serious GamesSerious Games in Education

    September 2010

    This literature review looks at the challenges of embedding serious games in education and methods for assessing games for teaching.

    Serious Games in Education (pdf)

  • Home school reportChildren’s role in home-school relationships and the role of digital technologies

    September 2009

    This review provides an overview of the key debates and current practice and research into home-school relationships, with a particular focus on children’s role and the opportunities offered by digital technologies to facilitate home-school relationships.

  • Digital participation, digital literacy, and school subjectsDigital participation, digital literacy, and school subjects

    September 2009

    This report reviews the major research and evidence on developing digital literacy and digital participation in the classroom and highlights the fact that there is extensive theory, conceptual development and policy on this area, yet little evidence about how this can be translated into practice.

  • Overcoming barriers to innovationOvercoming the barriers to educational innovation

    September 2009

    By reviewing the literature in the field and interrogating data from a range of Futurelab projects, this publication aims to set out some of the challenges of promoting and supporting innovation, particularly concerning the effective sharing of innovative practices.

  • Gaming in FamiliesGaming in families

    September 2009

    This report identifies previous programmes of work which have investigated the role of video games in the context of families as well as market research data on family gaming. It also looks at the benefits and risks associated with family gaming.

  • Assessment and social justice literature reviewAssessment and social justice

    January 2009

    This review examines the role that educational assessment plays within a social justice context. This covers any form of assessment that has the potential to reduce the effects of a variety of disadvantages that learners may experience.

  • E-assessmentE-assessment

    September 2007

    If we want to create an education system that reflects and contributes to the development of our changing world, then we need to ask how we might change assessment practices to achieve this, and what role technologies might play.

    Original review + update available

  • Literature review in citizenship, technology and learningCitizenship, technology and learning

    September 2007

    This review examines research evidence to explore how ICT can be used to support citizenship education, as well as how citizenship education needs to reflect changes in technology use in the workplace and day-to-day life.

    Original review + update available

  • Literature review in creativity, technology and learningCreativity, technology and learning

    September 2007

    This review maps out the different perspectives on creativity, and the teaching and learning of creativity, and brings together latest thinking in this field. It also highlights some of the key questions concerning assessment and creativity.

    Original review + update available

  • E-inclusion: Learning Difficulties and Digital TechnologiesE-inclusion: learning difficulties and digital technologies

    May 2007

    This review maps out ways forward for those concerned with the policy, practice and design of digital technologies for use by teachers, parents, and learners with learning difficulties.

  • Teachers learning with digital technologiesTeachers learning with digital technologies

    July 2006

    If we want to encourage different approaches to teaching and learning, and new relationships between pupils and teachers, we need to understand the ways in which teachers come to learn, adapt and make such new approaches a reality.

  • 14-19 and digital technologies14-19 and digital technologies

    April 2005

    The 14-19 debate goes to the heart of a number of core questions: What is education for? What attributes do we value and need in our young people as workers, as learners? Where does learning happen? What role should young people themselves play in shaping their education?

  • Mobile technologies and learningMobile technologies and learning

    December 2004

    There is considerable interest from educators and technical developers in exploiting mobile technologies to enable new and engaging forms of learning. This review provides a rich vision of the current and potential future developments in this area.

  • Learning with tangible technologiesLearning with tangible technologies

    December 2004

    What would a school look like in which the technology disappeared seamlessly into the everyday objects and artefacts of the classroom? This review challenges us to think differently about our future visions for educational technology.

  • Learning with digital technologies in museums, science centres and galleriesLearning with digital technologies in museums, science centres and galleries

    September 2004

    What is distinctive about learning in museums, science centres and galleries, and how might this change or evolve through the increasing use of digital technologies? This review considers some of the routes we might take.

  • Literature review in games and learningGames and learning

    March 2004

    This review is intended as a timely introduction to current thinking about the role of computer games in supporting children's learning inside and out of school, highlighting the key areas of research in this field.

  • Literature review in informal learning with technology outside schoolInformal learning with technology outside school

    March 2004

    This review explores the extent to which research in this area is raising fundamental questions about how children learn and, consequently, whether we need to re-examine the design of our formal education system.

  • Literature review in primary science and ICTPrimary science and ICT

    September 2003

    This review considers the impact of ICT in primary science in relation to the role of teacher and learner, teachers' subject knowledge, the balance between process skills and science content, and the application of formative assessment.

  • Literature review in science education and the role of ICTScience education and the role of ICT

    September 2003

    Today, what 'counts' as science and science teaching is in a state of flux. This, however, is not new - for 150 years there have been debates about the purpose, nature and role of science education in our society.

  • Literature review in thinking skills, technology and learningThinking skills, technology and learning

    September 2002

    This review examines the role of technology in supporting the teaching of thinking skills, summarising research into the use of technology as a 'mind tool', as a tutor and for developing collaboration and communication.

  • Literature review in languages, technologies and learningLanguages, technologies and learning

    September 2002

    This review maps out different theories of learning, approaches to language description and to language teaching, and identifies different ways in which technology can be best used to facilitate current practice.