Technology does not make you smart

Having access to a PC doesn't make you any smarter – or at least doesn't give you a thirst for knowledge, new research has found.

A report into lifelong learning from the University of Cardiff shows that just having a computer around doesn't drive people to learn more – unless they want to know more about polishing their digital photos, researching their family tree or rejigging their music library.

Technology seems to have failed to capture the imagination of a large proportion of the British public, with 48 per cent of those questioned by the university not having used the computer in the previous 12 months but only eight per cent of them were classed as 'excluded' from computers.

Using the internet is still the way most people prefer to talk to friends and family rather than get some adult learning, the report has found.

Does that mean the internet isn't broadening the UK's information horizons? Not necessarily, according to Dr Neil Selwyn, the report's author

"What's pleasing is the amount of informal learning – under the radar of formal education – that's going on. People are doing amazing things with technology," he said.

So why isn't the UK learning online more? "For some people it's lack of interest, for some it's lack of relevance," Selwyn said. "A lot of people had made a digital choice – they could have [learnt online] perfectly well but they chose not to."

Having tech-savvy children in the home has an equally uninspiring effect on learning via technology.

Previous research by the university shows that while 'the kids need it for their schoolwork' is a favoured reason for buying a home PC, it doesn't necessarily translate into greater use of technology for adults.

Kids often play a "snide supportive role" in their parents' IT learning and often precluded their parents from getting online.

Those who succeed at online education are those with a high degree of motivation and those who tend to leave formal education at a later age.

E-learning still favours the big names. Of the people using the internet to pursue formal education, only six per cent were learning a non-ICT, non work-related discipline - studying another language, for example – and often it was with traditional offline providers, such as the BBC.

"They need those familiar anchors from their offline lives," Selwyn said.