Learning in Families
Summary
The aim of this project is to provide greater understanding of learning in families, and to explore the potential of digital technologies to support this learning. We are interested in parents' learning, children's learning, and families learning together. The project is investigating both formal, organised provision, such as provided in colleges, SureStart centres and extended schools, as well as more informal, everyday activities such as looking after animals or working in the garden.
Learning in families has been claimed to have many benefits, from children's achievement in school to parents gaining employment; from supporting families to be resilient in the face of challenging circumstances to children and adults becoming active citizens and having their say on matters of political importance. Learning in families is also thought to hold potential for tackling social and educational inequalities and reducing social exclusion.
Digital technologies, which can open up new approaches to learning and communication, may have the potential to widen access to and support learning in families.
What is learning in families?
Learning in families encompasses a wide range of activities between parents, children and the extended family. Some examples of learning in families are: parents engaging with their children's learning, for example, helping them with their schoolwork or showing them how to fix a bike; adults learning from children, for example, how to programme the Sky Plus or to play the latest computer game; adults and children learning together, including playing sport or music, visiting a zoo or developing reading and writing skills together; adults learning in order to help children, for example, brushing up on maths skills to help children with their homework.
Project type and status
Ongoing research project. (NB this project is part of Futurelab's Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning work programme, supported by Becta.)
Partners
