A Computer for Every Child : Becoming Multiliterate with ICT

This paper reports on the initial findings from the study called Computer for Every Child project (CFEC), which provided families from disadvantaged backgrounds with computers. The aim of the project was to address some of the issues associated with the digital divide for disadvantaged families. The program involves students in Years three and five (ages ranging from eight to 11 years) of schooling in the Western suburbs of a major metropolitan city in Australia. This paper details the findings from two in depth case studies. These studies examine the ways in which two students and their families used their personal computer and Internet connection (provided to them as part of the project) to become multiliterate in the information age