SAANZ Conference 2019

Chair: Manuel Vallee 

Jacqueline Tinkler: “All traditions will go”: Students, technology, and the future of schooling

This presentation deals with the way in which secondary school students view the role of technology in schools of the future. Four groups of secondary students from two Australian schools produced hand-drawn concept maps of both the present and future of digital technologies for schooling, which were then followed by focus group discussions. The ways in which students considered the use of digital technologies at school in the future were analysed. The findings indicated that students often looked forward to technology that was more useful and reliable than it was currently, but they were also concerned with the loss of many of the things that they valued about their school. Technological determinism, and the myth of technological progress were evident in these findings, pointing to the lack of agency students felt in relation to the use of digital technologies in school. These results suggest there is a need to engage students in the process of planning and implementing educational technologies, particularly in relation to how they are integrated into their schooling in general.


David Mercer: Science –Anti Science, Truth, Trust and the Right to Know. The Berkeley Cell Phone Case

On July 2, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a mandate proposed by Berkeley City Council (California) requiring cell-phone retailers to provide information to consumers informing them that if a phone is carried in a pocket or a bra that it is possible that US RF safety guidelines will be exceeded. This decision is likely to have broader implications. The CTIA (The US trade group representing the cell phone industry) argues that the mandate represents ‘a war against science’ and that its members are being conscripted to “utter anti-science views” which will alarm the public. For Berkeley, assisted by eminent technology and copyright lawyer Lawrence Lessig, the mandate is about the public having a ‘right to know’ about what they are purchasing and merely reiterates information consistent with the CTIA’s ‘own science based standards’. The case provides an excellent platform to consider the different ways notions of truth, trust, science and anti-science, are deployed by actors negotiating disputed interpretations of scientific consensus and uncertainty and images of the ‘public understanding of science’ in an era where policy makers and commentators are increasingly pre-occupied with questions of ‘post-truth’ and ‘anti-science’


Ludger Benighaus: Citizens’ survey on reputation of mining and exploration in Finland, Germany and Spain

The authors will present a representative citizens’ survey on mining and mineral exploration that was carried out in each of the countries Finland, Germany and Spain, March 2018. The aim of the survey was to analyse the public attitude towards mining activities and mineral exploration. The results show that citizens in Finland, Germany and Spain have a positive attitude towards mining concerning the importance of the sector for the whole economy, the chances for employment and being independent by mining resources in the own country. People see a benefit for the local infrastructure and facilities when it comes to mining. In general terms, Indifferent among the citizens’ opinion is the trust and acceptance towards mining industry and how public authorities handle mining issues. Impact on environment caused by mining is seen as a huge issue. A stable 10 to 15% of all participants show a very critical (very negative) attitude in general towards mining and mineral exploration. The results supported designing the stakeholder engagement process in regions in Finland, Germany and Spain for 2018 and 2019.


Each presentation will be allocated 20 minutes. Additional time for questions and discussion will be available in each stream.