3 Ijaest Volume No 3 Issue No 2 Youth Learning and Technology 89 110

Khayrazad Jabbour / (IJAEST) INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED ENGINEERING SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGIES
Vol No. 3, Issue No. 2, 089 - 110
YOUTH LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY
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An Exploratory Study Of
Youth Learning and Technology in Lebanon
What do we actually know about youth and technology in Lebanon?
Khayrazad Jabbour
karijabbour@hotmail.com
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Hammana, Lebanon
70-238 095/ 05 -530-249

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ISSN: 2230-7818 @ 2011 http://www.ijaest.iserp.org. All rights Reserved. Page 89

Vol No. 3, Issue No. 2, 089 - 110
An Exploratory Study of Youth Learning And Technology In Lebanon
What do we actually know about youth and technology?
Khayrazad Jabbour
karijabbour@hotmail.com
Hammana, Lebanon
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70-238 095/ 05 -530-249
ES Abstract
This study investigates the use of Information Communication Technologies - ICT- by young
people in Lebanon. The investigation examines their activities and the gap in ICT at home and at school.
Data for the study was obtained from questionnaire surveys of grade 9 and 12 students; in addition, teacher
surveys and student interviews were added to the data results. The survey was conducted in the spring of
2010 in the schools located in Mount Lebanon. This article discusses: (1) how often and for what purposes do
pupils use ICT at home, and at school; 2) to what extent are the differences between the uses of ICT at home
and at school; 3) Investigate ICT and media creator skills among pupils. The paper then goes on to discuss
what role ICT should play in education and addresses the question of whether young people are ready to
contribute to their own learning. Analyzing the data from the survey indicates a great gap between ICT
practices at home and school; where all the ICT functions important to younger generation exist outside
school doors, as well as most of the ICT learning. This article proposes that schools should bridge this gap by
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shifting their center of attention from supporting the development of ICT skills towards supporting ICT
mediated activities. This article concludes by suggesting that schools should look at students‟ roles as
contributing agents towards their own learning.
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Keyword: Lebanon, Student, Survey, ICT, School, Home, Survey.
Introduction
Information Communication Technology- ICT- has had a profound effect on

almost every aspect of our lives, and most importantly it has had a great impact on our
young generation. It has shaped and changed their activities in various ways. Young
Lebanese pupils spend a great deal of their free time using ICT. Technology tools such
as the Internet, digital games, digital audio/video, cell phones, camera phones, email, IM-
instant messaging, social networking, YouTube and other technology tools which have

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become the cornerstones of a teenager‟s everyday activities. Because of the massive

amount of time teenagers spend using ICT; they expressed a high degree of comfort and
in many ways they quickly adapt to learning how to use new ICT to great extent more
than their parents‟ generation.
Since the students are the central focus of education and because they spend great
deal of their free time using ICT; it is increasingly important for educational institutions
to expand their understanding of teenagers ICT activities, and to examine the
technological skills within our youth culture, in order to gain a valuable knowledge of
issues that might shape, support and nurture future education.
Technology can be the central means for significant educational reform and
improvement. Its role in the classroom is very important if properly used. Technology
offers a broad range of highly effective tools we can use to support and enhance learning.
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Bringing technology skills into the classroom is developed into one of the most
controversial issues. There have been huge effort and investments in order to bring ICT
into schools; however, education continues to stay the same in Lebanon, while students
are engaged in a world of rapidly evolving technologies. It seems that schools are having
problems incorporating and making use of technology within the current educational
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practices; many schools have not been able to provide fruitful technology learning
environments.
The objective of this study is to try to give some general descriptions of the use of
technology by the youth of Lebanon. There is no way to provide a complete description
of their entire ICT activities. The discussion will outline some very general factors of
how technology impacted their activities, behaviors and their skills. Thus gaining insight
and an understanding of issues that will influence future learning.
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The following questions form the central part of this study:
1. How often and for what purposes do students use ICT at home, and at school?
2. To what extent are the differences between the use of ICT in the home and at school?
3. What role should ICT play in education? Should educational institutions move from
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supporting the development of technological skills towards supporting technology

mediated teaching activities?
4. Can teenagers make a contribution to their own learning? To look at young people‟s
roles as contributing agents in order to close the gap between ICT practices at home
and school.

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Research Design
The data for this study was collected in the spring of 2010. The two schools in
which this study was conducted are located in Lebanon. The schools operate under a
traditional teaching program from kindergarten to grade 12. Around 500 students were
enrolled in each school; with two classes per level and an average of 15 students per
class.
The study consisted of Class-based review where questionnaires were distributed
in the classroom and completed during a lesson. A total of 100 pupils completed the
questionnaire about the use of ICT by young people at home and at school in the spring
of 2010. The classes concerned were (Brevet) year nine; and the Baccalaureate II
(Terminale) year twelve. We have chosen to explore grade nine (Brevet) year nine; and
the Baccalaureate II (Terminale) year twelve, because Lebanese students sit for two
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major official exams: the Baccalaureate I (Brevet) grade nine; and the Baccalaureate II
(Terminale) grade twelve. Due to these two major official exams, the pedagogies in grade
nine and twelve are more centered on „teaching to the test‟. In addition, teacher surveys
and student interviews were added to the data results. Permission to carry out the surveys
was obtained from the director of the school.
ES Data collection
In order to understand teenager access and usage of ICT at home and at school, I
have conducted two surveys of ICT usage in the home and school for the students and the
teachers. I have also conducted home-based interviews with teenagers and their families.
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Student Survey:
The instrument used in the study was a questionnaire that investigates youth
access and use of ICT at home and at school. Also it investigates modern technology
skills and activity within youth culture; and the difference between ICT practices at
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school and home. The students‟ questionnaire consisted of a total of 41 questions

concerning young people‟s computer ownership, access and use of technology at home
and school. It also consisted of questions on internet access and usages. The
questionnaire was initially tested with colleagues; then the implement and analysis were
piloted in spring 2010.
This study questionnaire concentrates into five blocks:
 Technology use at home (26questions)

o Computer ownership, the response categories were “Yes; No; how many__”
o Internet access, the answer categories were “Yes; No”
o Internet applications ownership including(email, MSN, Facebook), the
response categories were “Yes; No”

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o The amount of time they spend using digital technology at home, the response
categories were “on weekday‟s ___, on weekend‟s___”
o Learn to use computer, the response categories were “School, Family, self
Learner, Friends”
o How frequently young people used a computer and internet application at
home for a range of activities at home. The same scale was used for each
question; the response categories were “daily; weekly; monthly; once or twice
a year; and never”.
 Student media creator skills and activities‟ (6 questions), the same response
categories was used for each question “Yes; No”
 Places student use Technology regularly, (1 question)
 Subjects that use Technologies at school, (1 question),the response categories were”
Art, English; Math; Science; French; and Technology”
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 Technology to support student learning (5 questions) the same response categories
were used for each question “Everyday; 2 to 3 times a week; Not very often; Most
days; Once a week; and Not at all”
 Student reflection with technology at school (3 questions), ), the same response
categories were used for each question are: “Strongly agree; Agree; Neutral;
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Disagree; Strongly disagree”
The instrument was given to the students in their respective classrooms and they were
allowed sufficient time to respond to all questions on the instrument. The exact wording
of these questions is appended.
Teacher surveys:
For the next phase of the project, the teachers‟ questionnaire consisted of a total of
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fourteen questions of the usage of ICT to support learning at school. This study
questionnaire concentrates into five blocks:
 Teaching setting (5 questions)

 Integration of Technology in the Classroom setting (2 questions), the same answer
categories were used for each question “Yes; No”
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 The how much time students spend using digital technology at school, (2 questions)
 Designing Learning with Technology (13 questions), the same scale of was used for
each question; the response categories were “daily; weekly; monthly; once or twice a
year; and never”.
 How ICT is used to support student learning (1 question include 14 check boxes; plus
1 question include 3 check boxes)
 Teacher professional development training (1 question), categories used for the
question were “Yes; No”
 Teacher reflection about the influence of technology on student learning. (1
questions), categories used for the question were “Greatly, Somewhat, Not at all”.
(see Appendix A).

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Home interview:
The third phase of the project was a home based interview and observations with
teenagers and their families. Teenagers and their families were selected for home
interviews. Twelve interviews were conducted with twelve families. The interview
included a discussion about the history and current ICT practices at home and at school.
It is on the data from students and from teacher surveys, also from the home interviews
conducted that this paper will draw to explore the following themes:
1. How often and for what purposes do school pupils use ICT at home and at school;
examine modern technology and media creators‟ skills among pupils;
2. The differences between of the ICT usage at home and at school;
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3. What role should ICT play in education; are teenagers ready to play a role in their
own learning.
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This section summarizes data from the surveys. It intends to detect how often and
for what purposes do school pupils use ICT at home and at school; also it investigates
modern technology and media creator skills among pupils. We then go on to discuss any
differences between ICT use in the home and school. Data shows that young people in
Lebanon are highly engaged participants in the ICT world. Then again, the data also
presents findings that show there‟s a substantial discrepancy between how students use
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technology at home and at school. Below are key findings on how pupils are using
technology – their favorite activities and their interactive communication habits – and
how their use of the technology differs from those of their schools.
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Key Findings of Student Survey, Youth technology Activities at home:
Lebanese youth are no strangers to the computer technology (100%) report that they
have a minimum of one computer at home; and 8 in 10 young Lebanese (80%) said they
have as a minimum two computers at home. In addition almost all - (97%) say they have
internet access at home, figure (1).

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Fig. (1) (Computer in household -2010)
The entire group of Lebanese student who participated in this study stated that they
use a computer every day; almost 9 in 10 young Lebanese - (89%) say on average
they spend one to two hours every day on schooldays using computer, and (11%) say
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they spend at least three hours every day. On the weekends, the majority - (91%) of
the Lebanese youth spend as a minimum two hours using a computer, figure (2).
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Fig. (2) (Daily ICT use among teens at home-2010)
Young people are learning quite a lot through engaging with technologies in their
informal learning environments. They often learn how to use technologies on their
own and through their friends‟. More than half of the Lebanese youth (55%) say they
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have learned how to use technology by experimenting and exploring on their own,
with another (22%) saying that they have learned how to use it through their friends‟.
So it is mostly through their leisure time activities that technology use really
flourishes among the youth. Smaller numbers of young people say they have learned
how to use technology from their family (9%), with another (14%) saying they have
learned how to use it through their school, figure (3).

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Fig. (3) (Teens Learn How to Use ICT-2010)
When asked about their computer activities, the majority of the young people
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mentioned they spend a great deal of their free time using technology for leisure
activities, please see figure (4).
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Fig. (4) (Teens ICT Activities - 2010)
Among the survey result:

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 Music, movies, or videos: Almost all young Lebanese (98 %) say they are
using the ICT for entertainment for instance music, movies, and video; (43%)
use it daily, (46%) use it a couple of times a week. Only (2%) of young
Lebanese say they never use computer for music, movies, or videos activities.
 Email: The majority (94%) of the young Lebanese say they have their own
personal email address. 8 in 10 young Lebanese (80%) say they use their
email every day or at least a couple of times a week to keep up with their
friends. Only (6%) of young Lebanese say they never use Email.
 IM: More than 9 in 10 young Lebanese (86%) have used an instant messaging
-IM (Chat rooms) that allows those online to hold conversations with other
users instantaneously, all of them reported they use their own MSN account.
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Many online teens use instant messaging frequently. (54%) of those who use
instant messaging services say they instant message every day, with another
(23%) instant messaging a couple of times a week. Only (14%) of young
Lebanese say they never use IM.
 Games: Almost 9 in 10 young Lebanese - (89%) say they use the computer for
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downloading or playing games; (40%) of those play games on a daily basis;
with another (32%) playing games a couple of times a week. Only (11%) of
young Lebanese say they never use a computer for games.
 Facebook: More than 9 in 10 young Lebanese (91%) report that they have a
Facebook account; (62%) of those say they use Facebook every day; with
another (23%) using it a couple of times a week. Only (9%) of young
Lebanese say they never use Facebook or MySpace.
 As homework help tool: Nearly 8 in 10 young Lebanese (79%) say they use
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the ICT to help them do their homework; just (12%) say they use it every day;
with another (42%) using it a couple of times a week for homework help.
(21%) of young Lebanese say they never use a computer as homework help
tool.
 Blogs: 6 in 10 young Lebanese (60%) say they use the Blogs. Of those (11%)
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use it on a daily basis, 39% use it a couple of times a week. (40%) of young
Lebanese say they never use blogs.
 YouTube: Almost 9 in 10 young Lebanese (86%) report that they have used
YouTube; (15%) of those say they use it every day, with another (34%) using
it a couple of times a week, and (26%) using it on a monthly basis. Only
(14%) of young Lebanese say they never use YouTube.
Key Findings of Computer Applications:
 Word processing: 4 in 10 young Lebanese (40%) report that they have used
word processing applications; with only (8%) using it once a week, (26%)

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using it once a month, (6%) using it once or twice a year; and (60%) say they
never use word processing applications.
 Spreadsheets: 4 in 10 young Lebanese (40%) report that they have used
spreadsheet applications; with only (8%) using it once a week, (26%) use it
once a month, (6%) use it once or twice a year; and (60%) say they never use
spreadsheets application.
 Databases: no more than (3%) say they use database applications once or
twice a year and (97%) say they never use it.
 Power Point Presentation software: Among students, we have (40%) who say
they use Power Point Presentation software, but only (3%) use it once a week,
(11%) use it once a month, (26%) use it once or twice a year; and (60%) say
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they never use Power Point Presentation application software.
 Graphical applications: More than (71%) of students reported that they use
graphical applications, and only (6%) use it daily, (6%) use it once a week,
(17%) use it once a month, (43%) use it once or twice a year; and (29%) say
they never use it. ES
Key Findings of Teen Content Creators:
Among internet-using teens, a large percentage - (86%) create content for the
internet; these are called Content Creators or Media creators. A media creator is
someone who created a blog or webpage, posted original artwork, photography,
stories or videos online or remixed online content into their own new creations. Most
of the young people report having done one or more of the following content-creating
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activities, please see figure (4).
Among the survey result:
(86%) of young Lebanese teens say that they have posted photos online;
(66%) of teens state that they have posted stories online;
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(37%) have posted their artwork online;

(49%) have posted video or a song online; and
(46%) of young people say that they have created or help in creating a webpage
and (31%) a blog.

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Fig. (5) (Content Creators Teens Activities – 2010)
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Key Findings of Kids’ Technology Activities at School:
From the survey result there is evidence of a divide between the use of ICT in the
home and at school, with the latter being the arena where technologies are used the least,
Figure (6). ES
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Fig. (6) (Teens ICT Activities at School – 2010)
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 No more than (37%) of the students report that their teacher uses ICT to teach them.
Only (8%) report that their teacher uses it only once a week; (29%) of these students
report that their teacher hardly ever uses ICT to teach them; and (63%) of the students
report that their teacher did not use ICT to teach them at all.
 in 10 young Lebanese (40%) report that they have used word
 Only (34%) of the students report that they are using Computer at school. (28%)
report that they are using it only once a week, (6%) report not very often; and (66%)
say not at all.

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 Nearly all students report that they are seldom or almost never using email messages
with their teacher. (14%) say not very often, and (86%) say not at all.
 Nearly all students report that they seldom or almost never look at the school website,
(49%) say not very often, and (51%) say not at all.
Key Finding of Student Reflections:
 More than (54%) percent of teens who took part in the survey reported that school
would be more interesting using computer, (40%) were neutral, and (6%) strongly
disagree.
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 (29%) agree that using computer helps them to improve on their schoolwork; (51%)
were neutral, (20%) disagree.
However only (14%) of young people agree that they have learned new skills in how to
disagree.
Key Finding of Teacher survey:

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utilize the computer since last year in the school. (31%) were neutral, and (54%)
 Schools placed their computers in the computer labs only, no computers in the
classrooms, networks were found to be only in the computer lab.
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 (100%) of all time spent by students on their school computers is to instruct them
about ICT skills rather than using ICT for other instructional goals.
 Students on an average spend less than an hour on a computer a week. This time is
committed to teaching students how to use computer applications for example Word
processing, Spreadsheets, Graphical applications, Power Point, Databases programs,
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also general computer education and basic keyboarding skills.
 Computer education is becoming isolated set of skills to be mastered. Computer

education is insignificant to schools.
 The technological infrastructure is fairly primitive. Not only is much of the hardware
obsolete, but many students do not get to use the technology that is in place.
 Students did not use technology in either mathematics, science or language (French,
English, and Arabic) courses during the 2009-10 school year.
Key Finding of Home interview:

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The third phase of the project was a home based interview and observations with
young people and their families. Young people and their parents shared their experiences
with their current home and school uses of ICT and practices, the social context of their
computer use, and their presentation and reflections. To better understand youths‟ and
parents‟ viewpoints; twelve young people and their parents were interviewed. The
interviews lasted approximately an hour.
The general fact is that Students visit the computer lab once a week for 50
minutes. In the computer Lab, the students work on various application programs skill;
the activities were criticized as overly prescriptive. There are considerably higher usage
of computer at home than at school, and it mostly used openly without fear or restraint
for entertainment.
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In this section I report some of the young people‟s comments:
Every teen we spoke with, described school use of computer as insignificant for the
following reasons:
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1. Most of the teens we interviewed explained that they use computer for only one hour
a week, within formal lesson time in the lab.
2. Teens commented that all the application skills that they learn at school they never
use them it life, and they always end up failing to remember them. Example of
application is MS office.
3. The grade does not have a lot of weight in the report card, and this made student feel
less interested in working or studying effectively.
4. They only use computer in IT classes, it is not integrated into other classes.
5. Most of the time they had to work 2 to 3 students on one computer, because several
computers will be not working in the computer lab.
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On the other hand young people‟s perceptions of the home computer and internet as a
window into their personal realm is something which creates a revolution in the way
young people communicate and do things. They say that they use the computer for
leisure activities; for example chatting to friends online using MSN; playing games or
media activities like music and video. Furthermore young people are using the internet
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as the most popular method of getting information, and to keep up with the current news
of subject that interest them. Young people often acted as experts within their family on
the use of computers, most of the parent stated that their kids taught them how to use
computer.
Some of the young people‟s comments through the interviews:
“I taught myself, when I was in school I didn’t learn much about computers”
“I was interested to learn how to use a computer, I asked my friend and he
showed me how make my own email account; It was easy after that, I learned a
whole lot on my own”

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“Computer education is useless subject, they teach us stuff that I have never and
will never use”
“It is not good subject; there are no practical use it for”
“The computer classes at school taught us about Microsoft applications. I learn

by myself mostly. My dad always asks me, how come I am so good, because my
dad knows much less than me.”
“At first I use to play around on my cousin computer, I was very young, then
when I got to school, we were always given a period of computers, where we
learnt the basics, … My mom learned it from me”
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“Most of the time I use it to chat with my friends using MSN… I have a
Facebook account, where we can upload pictures, create a diary and view other
people’s postings ... I have about 500 friends on Facebook…”
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Gap Between ICT Practices At School And Home
The next question of this study aimed to determine the difference between ICT
practices at school and at home. Also it aimed to explain the role technology in
education, and are our teens ready to play a part to their own learning?
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Schools perform a significant role in teaching valuable skills to students, such as
Language, Arithmetic, Science, Art, Sports … etc. While there have been huge efforts in
bringing technology skills into learning; nevertheless data indicates that it has not been
able to provide successful technology learning. A great gap opening up between ICT
practices at home and at school; in which all the functions important to teenagers take
place outside school doors, as well as most of the ICT learning. ICT setting, engagement
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and motivation of young at home are extremely different from it at schools. In general,
teen engage excitedly with technology activities outside school doors; while finding
technology in schools boring and disappointing.
ICT setting, practice and motivation of teenagers at home are very different from
that at schools. In general, teens engage excitedly with technology activities outside
school; while finding technology in schools boring and disappointing.
Schools provide ICT training in a limited area called the computer lab where
pupils can use technology only under restricted conditions for only one to two hours a
week. And much of the teaching consists of formal ICT education premeditated by the
curriculum; with a focus on developing skills on how to use a specific application and its

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functionality; without being implanted or linked to useful function or practice. The ICT
concept at school is becoming another isolated skill to be mastered by memorizing.
Students did not use technology in either mathematics, science or languages courses
during the 2009-10 school year. In this paradigm, knowledge taught in the Brevet-year
nine of study may become obsolete in -Baccalaureate II Terminale-year twelve. That‟s
why students consider ICT education insignificant. The majority - (86%) reported that
they have learned their ICT skills through engaging with technologies in their informal
learning environments outside school. Only (14%) reported that they have learned new
ICT skills in the school.
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ICT Skills Among Students
Students who participated in this study reported that they use computer every day
at home. Most of them spend a great deal of their free time using ICT. They engage with
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technology in a very playful, exploratory attitude for leisure activities. The data results
indicate that young people viewed technology as an enabling tool. Their main use of
technology was connecting people, ideas and resources. A remarkable percentage of
teens - (91%), participate in online social networking; and (86%) engage in Content
Creator activities, where they create, share online contents, or combine content into new
ones; also they engage in other various types of practices. In the internet communities, a
teen does not need to have high technical knowledge to produce interesting videos,
writing, maintaining a blog or creating a photo collages.
Because of the intensified use of technology; this age group expressed a high
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degree of comfort and quickly adapt to learning how to use new technologies to a greater
extent; not only as a consumer of information but also as inventors of knowledge. Then
again, these activities and experiences take place entirely outside schools; only through
their informal engagement with ICT. Teenagers have in their hands powerful learning
tools that they do not use in schools. And by failing to acknowledge this, we are boring
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our children and doing them a great disservice. Pupils favor exploring, producing,
discovering, acting as a team, and controlling the processes of dealing with technology,
and schools are depriving them of these processes.
“Today‟s technology offers students all kinds of new, highly

effective tools they can use to learn on their own – from the
Internet with almost all the information, to search and research
tools to sort out what is true and relevant, to analysis tools to
help make sense of it, to creation tools to present one‟s findings
in a variety of media, to social tools to network and collaborate
with people around the world.” (Prensky, M., 2008).

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Most young people are developing these skills and capacities outside the context
of school, through their engagement in various informal technology mediated activities.
From this point of view, youth and their special ways of learning are seen as a source for
future innovations within education and the organization of workplace learning, as their
ways of learning and engaging with technologies has an imminent transformative
potential that can update and change our current educational practices; if given the
opportunity.
Role of Technology in the Classroom
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To successfully fulfill educational needs in the 21st century, educational
institutions need to be able to respond effectively to the rapid technology changes. ICT
knowledge and Skills learned at school may have become obsolete before they even
graduate from school. Schools and educational institutions should consider shifting their
focus from supporting the development of technological skills towards supporting
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technology mediated learning activities. The role of technology in the classrooms should
be to support students teaching themselves, with teachers‟ guidance. To look at young
people‟s roles as socially contributing agents in their own learning by bringing their
informal learning forms into the school context. On the basis of this we can create
schools which better accommodate to the potentials and ICT-capabilities of our youth.
We want to nurture, support and develop our teenagers‟ skills and capacities, such as
being able to transform, create and produce knowledge. Schools need to take the
challenge to transform learning into knowledge creation and production rather than
knowledge reproducing. This also means that schools, and polices need to change from
focusing mainly on the attainment of knowledge; towards learning styles that focus on
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integrate technology into lessons for rich Learning and to encourage the promotion
knowledge and skills that student can apply to real-world situations. To explore the use
of ICT tools into the classroom as a integration tool to engage students in learning
Problem Solving ,Information Processing ,Collaboration ,Communication, Authentic
Resources , Real-World Activities project-Based. The focus is integrating technology
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tools into learning and into the curriculum, rather than acquisition of technology
knowledge and skills. The computer is a great tool for information processing. To
unfold students‟ potential by stressing primarily on the ability to produce knowledge by
experiences at each level to build their skills to be able to address issues, by searching for
information, making an assumption, seeking evidence, evaluating, solving problems,
making decisions, and communicating their ideas. The responsibility for unfolding the
potential of teenagers relies on teachers, schools or educational institutions, and on policy
makers.

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Conclusion
Digital technologies and the internet have gradually transformed several aspects
of social and cultural life. In today‟s world, everything is constantly changing, and it is
changing swiftly. To keep up, our educational system needs to be constantly updated and
upgraded. While there have been huge effort to bring ICT into learning, it seems that
many educational institutions have not been able to provide fruitful, engaging and
challenging learning environments. ICT Skills learned at school may have become
obsolete before pupils even graduate from school. Young Lebanese spend a great deal of
their time using ICT; and in many ways they have e-skills and quickly adapt to learn how
to use new technologies to greater extent. The data from the survey indicates a great gap
opening up between ICT practices at school and home. Schools should bridge this gap
by consider shifting their focus from supporting learner‟s development of technological
T
skills towards supporting learning technology mediated activities. From this perspective,
teens and their special ways of learning and engaging with technologies are seen as a
potential for future innovations within education; if given the opportunity.
ES References
Kent, N. and Facer, K. (2004). Different worlds? A comparison of young people‟s home
and school ICT use, Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004 Journal of Computer
Assisted Learning 20, pp440–455
Prensky, M. (2008). The Role of Technology in teaching and the classroom, Published in
Educational Technology, USA.
A
Castells, M. (1996, 2000 (second edition)). The Rise of the Network Society. Oxford,
UK, Blackwell Publishers.
Duimel, M. and de Haan, J. (2009). Instrumental, information and strategic ICT skills of
teenagers and their parents, EU Kids Online conference, London.
IJ
Dirckinck-Holmfeld, L. & Ryberg, T. (2005 forthcoming). Power Users of Information

and Communication Technology – an emerging research agenda. In J. Malyn-
Smith & C. Parker (Eds.), Power Users of Technology Symposium, August 6
-11th 2005. San José, Costa Rica: Educational Development Center.
Konkola, R., Tuomi-Gröhn, T., Lambert, P., & Ludvigsen, S. (2007). Promoting learning
and transfer between school and workplace. Journal of Education & Work,
20(3), 211-228.
Penuel, W., Kim, K., Michalchik, V., Lewis, S., Means, B., Murphy, R., Korbak, K.,
Whaley, A., and Allen, J., (2002) Using Technology to Enhance Connections

Vol No. 3, Issue No. 2, 089 - 110
Between Home and School, A Research Synthesis, Planning and Evaluation

Service, U.S. Department of Education. USA.
Colley A. & Comber C. (2003) Age and gender differences in computer use and attitudes
among secondary school students: what has changed? Educational Research
45, 155–165.
Kerawalla L. & Crook C. (2002) Children‟s computer use at home and at school: context
and continuity. British Educational Research Journal 28, 751–771.
Facer K., Furlong J., Furlong R. & Sutherland R. (2003) ScreenPlay: Children and
Computing in the Home. Routledge, London.
T
Arnseth, H. C., & Ludvigsen, S. (2006). Approaching institutional contexts: systemic
versus dialogic research in CSCL. International Journal of Computer-
Supported Collaborative Learning, 1(2), 167-185.
ES
A
IJ

Vol No. 3, Issue No. 2, 089 - 110
An Exploratory Study Of Youth Learning And Technology In

Lebanon
What do we actually know about youth and technology in Lebanon?
Done by: Khayrazad Jabbour
The data for this study was collected in the spring of 2010. A total of
100 pupils completed the questionnaire from Brevet- year nine; and the
Baccalaureate II (Terminale) year twelve. The two Schools in which this
study was conducted are located in Lebanon. The schools operate under a
traditional teaching program from kindergarten to grade 12. Around 500
T
students were enrolled in each school; with two classes per level and an
average of 15 students per class.
How many computers do you have at home

One Computer
Two Computers
Three Computers
4 or more
20%
49%
20%
11%
ES
Do you have Internet at home
Yes 97%
No 3%
A
Do you have your own personal email address
Yes 91%
No 9%
IJ
Do you have your own MSN account

Yes 91%
No 9%
Do you have a Facebook account

Yes 89%
No 11%
Where did you learn your ICT skills and knowledge
Self 55%

Vol No. 3, Issue No. 2, 089 - 110
Friend 22%
Family 9%
school 14%
Pupils ICT activities

1 or
Daily Weekly Monthly 2 a Never
year
music,videos 43% 46% 3% 6% 2%
T
Email 51% 29% 11% 3% 6%
IM/Online Chats 54% 23% 9% 0% 14%
Games 40% 32% 11% 6% 11%
Facebook 62% 23% 6% 0% 9%
Homework 12%
ES 42% 25% 0% 21%
YouTube 15% 34% 26% 11% 14%
Blogs 11% 39% 7% 3% 40%
Graphical appl 5% 6% 17% 43% 29%
Word processing 0% 8% 26% 6% 60%
Spreadsheets 0% 8% 26% 6% 60%
PowerPoint 0% 3% 11% 26% 60%
Databases 0% 0% 0% 3% 97%
Desktop publishing 0% 0% 0% 0% 100%
A
Number of hours pupils use the computer per day
weekday Weekend
IJ
1 hour 43% 9%
2 hours 46% 11%
3 hours 9% 17%
4 hours 1% 23%
5 hours or more 1% 40%
Places pupils use the Internet regularly

Home only 73%
Home and
Computer/internet/Coffey
shops 25%
Computer/internet/Coffey 2%

Vol No. 3, Issue No. 2, 089 - 110
shops only
Media Creator: teens that use the Internet could be considered media
creators
Yes No
posted photography 86% 14%
posted stories 66% 34%
posted video or song 49% 51%
creating webpage 46% 54%
posted artwork 37% 63%
creating Blog 31% 69%
T
Teacher use ICT to teach
Not very often 29%
Once a week 8%
Never
Not very often

Once a week
ES
63%
Student use ICT at school

6%
28%
Never 66%
Email Between Student and Teacher

A
Not very often 14%
Once a week 0%
Never 86%
Post discussion for school work

IJ
Not very often 0%

Once a week 0%
Never 100%
look at school website

49%
0%
51%
Computer make schoolwork more interesting

Strongly agree 23%

Vol No. 3, Issue No. 2, 089 - 110
agree 31%
neutral 40%
Disagree 0%
Strongly disagree 6%
Computer helps me do better on my schoolwork

Strongly agree 15%
agree 14%
neutral 51%
Disagree 17%
Strongly disagree 3%
T
Learned new skills in how to use the computer since last year in the school
Strongly agree 0%
agree 14%
neutral
Disagree
Strongly disagree
31%
40%
14%
ES
A
IJ

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Khayrazad Jabbour / (IJAEST) INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED ENGINEERING SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGIES

Vol No. 3, Issue No. 2, 089 - 110

YOUTH LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY

Youth Learning and Technology in Lebanon

What do we actually know about youth and technology in Lebanon?

70-238 095/ 05 -530-249

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An Exploratory Study of Youth Learning And Technology In Lebanon

What do we actually know about youth and technology?

Keyword: Lebanon, Student, Survey, ICT, School, Home, Survey.

Information Communication Technology- ICT- has had a profound effect on

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become the cornerstones of a teenager‟s everyday activities. Because of the massive

supporting the development of technological skills towards supporting technology

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school and home. The students‟ questionnaire consisted of a total of 41 questions

 Technology use at home (26questions)

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 Teaching setting (5 questions)

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Key Findings of Student Survey, Youth technology Activities at home:

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Fig. (1) (Computer in household -2010)

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Fig. (3) (Teens Learn How to Use ICT-2010)

Fig. (4) (Teens ICT Activities - 2010)

Among the survey result:

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Key Findings of Computer Applications:

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(37%) have posted their artwork online;

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Fig. (5) (Content Creators Teens Activities – 2010)

 in 10 young Lebanese (40%) report that they have used word

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Key Finding of Student Reflections:

Key Finding of Teacher survey:

also general computer education and basic keyboarding skills.

 Computer education is becoming isolated set of skills to be mastered. Computer

Key Finding of Home interview:

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“It is not good subject; there are no practical use it for”

“The computer classes at school taught us about Microsoft applications. I learn

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“Today‟s technology offers students all kinds of new, highly

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Role of Technology in the Classroom

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Dirckinck-Holmfeld, L. & Ryberg, T. (2005 forthcoming). Power Users of Information

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Between Home and School, A Research Synthesis, Planning and Evaluation

ISSN: 2230-7818 @ 2011 http://www.ijaest.iserp.org. All rights Reserved. Page 106

An Exploratory Study Of Youth Learning And Technology In

How many computers do you have at home

Do you have your own MSN account

Do you have a Facebook account

Where did you learn your ICT skills and knowledge

ISSN: 2230-7818 @ 2011 http://www.ijaest.iserp.org. All rights Reserved. Page 107

Pupils ICT activities

Places pupils use the Internet regularly

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Not very often