Professor Rebecca Eynon

Rebecca Eynon's research focuses on learning and the Internet, and the links between digital and social exclusion.

Email: rebecca.eynon@oii.ox.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1865 287206

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Rebecca Eynon holds a joint academic post between the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) and the Department of Education at the University of Oxford. Her research explores the relationships between education, the Internet and inequalities, and she has carried out projects in a range of settings (higher education, schools and the home) and life stages (childhood, adolescence and late adulthood).

Rebecca is co-editor of Learning, Media and Technology. She is co-author of Teenagers and Technology (Routledge, 2013) and Education and Technology: Major Themes (Routledge, 2016). Her work has been supported by a range of funders including BECTA, the Economic and Social Research Council, the European Commission, Google and the NominetTrust. She held a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship exploring the links between Internet use and social mobility in Britain (2013-2014).

Rebecca graduated in Psychology with Statistics from Royal Holloway, University of London and gained a distinction in her Masters in Mass Communications from the University of Leicester. She completed her PhD at City University, London. Prior to joining Oxford Rebecca held positions as an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Sociology, City University; as a Research Fellow, Department of Education, University of Birmingham and as a Researcher and part-time Lecturer, Centre for Mass Communication Research, University of Leicester.

At the OII Rebecca teaches on the MSc Social Science of the Internet and at the Department of Education she is co-course convenor for the MSc Education (Learning and Technology). At both departments, she supervises DPhil students interested in learning, education and / or digital and social inequalities.

Selected Publications

Eynon, R. and Geniets, A (2015) The digital skills paradox: how do digitally excluded youth develop skills to use the Internet? Learning Media and Technology.

Eynon, R. (2013) The rise of Big Data: what does it mean for education, technology and media research? Learning, Media and Technology 38 (3) 1-3.

Eynon, R. and Malmberg, L. (2012) Understanding the online information-seeking behaviours of young people: the role of networks of support. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 28 (6) 499-588.

Eynon, R. and Helsper, E. (2011) Adults Learning Online: Digital Choice and/or Digital Exclusion? New Media and Society 13 (4) 534-551.

Areas of Interest for Doctoral Supervision

Big data, digital divides, education, inequality, ethics, skills, learning and youth

Research interests

Sociology of education, digital education, everyday life and learning, digital and social exclusion

Positions held at the OII

  • Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor, May 2014 –
  • Senior Research Fellow, January – May 2014
  • Research Fellow, January 2005 – December 2013

Students supervised at the OII

Current students

Past students

  • Dr Ulrike Deetjen
  • Dr Isis Hjorth
  • Dr Daniel Villar-Onrubia
  • Dr Bianca Reisdorf

Latest blog posts

Current projects

Past projects

  • Breaking Barriers to e-Government

    Participants: Professor William H. Dutton, Professor Helen Margetts, Professor Rebecca Eynon

    Investigating the legal, organisational, technological and other barriers to expanding effective eGovernment services using the Internet and to define possible solutions at a European level to overcome such obstacles.

  • Conceptualising interaction and learning in MOOCs

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Chris Davies, Dr Isis Hjorth, Dr Taha Yasseri, Nabeel Gillani

    The overarching goal of this project is to propose a typology that describes the nature of learner interactions in MOOCs that develops our understanding of how learning takes place in such settings.

  • From digital skills to tangible outcomes: improving measures and models of Internet use

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Ellen Helsper, Dr Alexander van Deursen

    This study aims to develop new survey measures of people’s digital skills, digital engagement and outcomes of Internet use.

  • Lapsed Use of the Internet Amongst Young People in the UK: Digital Choice or Digital Exclusion?

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Anne Geniets

    Around 10% of 17-19 year olds in Britain are lapsed Internet users: why have they stopped using the Internet given its prevalence and value in the lives of the majority of young people? This project aims to inform the UK's digital inclusion strategy.

  • Online Learning in the Crowd: Examining “Content Overload” in MOOC Forums

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Isis Hjorth, Dr Taha Yasseri, Nabeel Gillani

    This project examines the extent to which social learning can be supported in the large online crowds of MOOCs.

  • Social inequalities in the network era: Exploring the links between Internet use and social mobility in Britain

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon

    Through analysis of OxIS survey data and in-depth interviews this project will explore if and how individuals from less well-off backgrounds can use the Internet to influence their social mobility.

  • Tackling Digital Inequality Amongst Young People: The Home Internet Access Initiative

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Huw C. Davies, Laura Pinkerton

    This participatory research project explores a two year initiative that provides all year 10 students with a laptop and Internet connection if they require one at home in three secondary schools.

  • The Learner in Their Context

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Chris Davies, Professor John Furlong, Dr Lars Malmberg, Melissa Highton

    This project, initiated as part of Becta's major programme of research in support of the Government's Harnessing Technology strategy, looked at the learning opportunities afforded by young people's uses of new technologies in their everyday lives.

  • The Learning Companion: an embodied conversational agent for learning

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Professor Yorick Wilks, Dr Chris Davies

    The Learning Companion project aims to evaluate the feasibility of a computer-based digital tool to help adults whose engagement with learning is tentative or hard to sustain make productive use of the Internet for achieving their own learning projects.

  • The Social Implications of the Use of Big Data in Education

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon

    This project explores the ethical and social implications of the growing use of data in education via a systematic review of policy and practice in the UK, USA and Singapore.

  • Transmedia Literacy

    Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Cristobal Cobo, Dr Huw C. Davies, Laura Pinkerton

    The transliteracy project aims to examine how young people use technology to learn outside formal educational settings.

  • ULab: European Laboratory for Modelling the Technical Research University of Tomorrow

    Participants: Professor William H. Dutton, Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Monica Bulger

    ULab will work as a University Laboratory, systematically reviewing, evaluating and experimenting with current practice in research, valorization, entrepreneurship and outreach activities in each of the five partner universities.

Books

  • Davies, C. and Eynon, R. (2015) Education and Technology Major Themes in Education. London: Routledge.
  • Davies, C. and Eynon, R. (2013) Teenagers and technology.

Chapters

  • EYNON, R.E. and GENIETS, A. (2018) "Not All Young People “Use” the Internet: Exploring the Experiences of Ex-Use Amongst Young People in Britain" In: Crossing the Bridge of the Digital Divide: A Walk with Global Leaders Normore, A. and Lahera, A. (eds.).
  • Grant, L. and Eynon, R. (2017) "Digital divides and social justice in technology-enhanced learning" In: Technology Enhanced Learning: Research Themes. 157-168.
  • Eynon, R.E., Schroeder, R. and Fry, J. (2016) "The Ethics of Learning and Technology Research" In: The SAGE Handbook of E-learning Research, 2e. SAGE.
  • Eynon, R., Hjorth, I., Yasseri, T. and Gillani, N. (2016) "Understanding Communication Patterns in MOOCs: Combining Data Mining and qualitative methods" In: Data Mining and Learning Analytics: Applications in Educational Research El Atia, S., Ipperciel, D. and Zaïane, O. (eds.). 207-221.
  • Eynon, R.E. and Davies, C. (2013) "Studies of the Internet in Learning and Education: Broadening the Disciplinary Landscape of Research" In: The Oxford Handbook of Internet Studies Dutton, W.H. (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Davies, C.W. and Eynon, R. (2013) "The role of the Internet in reshaping learning and education" In: The Oxford Handbook of Internet Studies. Oxford University Press.
  • Davies, C.W. and Eynon, R. (2010) "A Companion for learning in everyday life" In: Close Engagements with Artificial Companions Key Social, Psychological, Ethical and Design Issues. John Benjamins Publishing.
  • Eynon, R.E., Fry, J. and Schroeder, R. (2008) "The Ethics of Internet Research" In: The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods Blank, G., Lee, R. and Fielding, N. (eds.). London: SAGE.

Conference papers

  • Eynon, R., Hjorth, I., Yasseri, T. and Gillani, N. (2016) UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATION PATTERNS IN MOOCs.
  • Eynon, R., Hjorth, I., Gillani, N. and Yasseri, T. (2014) "Vote Me Up If You Like My Ideas! Experiences of Learning in a MOOC", International Communications Association Pre-Conference, Innovation in Higher Education: Building a Better Future?.
  • Geniets, A. and Eynon, R. (2013) Exploring the social impact of low and discontinued internet use among young people in Britain. American Sociological Association Annual Conference, August 2013, New York, US..

Journal articles

Reports

  • Helsper, E.J., Van Deursen, A.J.A.M. and Eynon, R.E. (2015) From Digital Skills to Tangible Outcomes: Full Questionnaire.
  • Helsper, E.J., Van Deursen, A.J.A.M. and Eynon, R.E. (2015) "Tangible outcomes of Internet Use" In: From Digital Skills to Tangible Outcomes Project Report..
  • Gillani, N., Eynon, R., Osborne, M., Hjorth, I. and Roberts, S. (2014) Communication Communities in MOOCs.
  • Van Deursen, A.J.A.M., Helsper, E.J. and Eynon, R.E. (2014) "Measuring digital skills. From digital skills to tangible outcomes" In: Project Report.
  • Eynon, R., Gillani, N., Hjorth, I. and Yasseri, T. (2014) "Conceptualising interaction and learning in MOOCs" In: MOOC Research Initiative. Final Report.
  • Bulger, M., Dutton, W.H. and Eynon, R.E. (2012) "D5.2 Outreach and Public Engagement: A pilot study" In: Deliverable for the ULab Project: Modelling the Technical Research University of Tomorrow.
  • Geniets, A. and Eynon, R. (2012) "On the Periphery? Understanding Low and Discontinued Internet Use Amongst Young People in Britain" In: Report for the Nominet Trust. Oxford: University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute.
  • Bulger, M., Dutton, W.H. and Eynon, R.E. (2011) D5.1 Best Practices on Outreach. Deliverable for the ULab Project: Modelling the Technical Research University of Tomorrow..
  • Eynon, R.E. (2009) Mapping young people's uses of technology in their own contexts - A nationally representative survey. Coventry: British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA).
  • Davies, C., Carter, A., Cranmer, S., Eynon, R.E., Furlong, J., Good, J., Hjorth, I., Lee, S., Malmberg, L. and Holmes, W. (2008) The learner and their context - Interim report: Benefits of ICT use outside formal education. Interim report for Becta-funded project 'The learner and their context'.
  • Cranmer, S., Davies, C., Eynon, R., Good, J. and Goff, J.C. (2008) The Learner and their Context – Interim report: Benefits of ICT use outside formal education.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2007) Breaking barriers to eGovernment. Overcoming obstacles to improving European public services. Solutions for eGovernment. Deliverable 3.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2007) Breaking barriers to eGovernment. Overcoming obstacles to improving European public services. Breaking barriers to eGovernment: Case study report. Deliverable 2.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2007) Breaking barriers to eGovernment: Overcoming obstacles to improving European public services. Solutions for eGovernment. Sixth workshop report.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2007) Breaking barriers to eGovernment: Overcoming obstacles to improving European public services. A legal and institutional analysis of barriers to eGovernment. Deliverable 1b.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2007) Breaking barriers to eGovernment: Overcoming obstacles to improving European public services. Fostering Innovation in eGovernment. Fifth Workshop Report. Barcelona.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2006) Overcoming obstacles to improving European public services: From Barriers to Benefits: Efficiency and Effectiveness of eGovernment: Fourth workshop report. Deliverable WP3 W.4.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2006) Overcoming obstacles to improving European public services. Learning from Experience in eGovernment: Why Projects Fail and Why They Succeed: Third workshop report. Deliverable WP3 W.3.
  • Margetts, H., Eynon, R.E. and Hicks, T. (2006) Research into Barriers and Incentives for Businesses Filing Returns Online. Article to accompany NAO value for money report Filing VAT and Company Tax returns. London.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2005) Workshop Report: Legal Barriers to e-Government. Legal barriers to eGovernment Workshop.
  • Eynon, R.E. (2005) Workshop Report: Breaking Barriers to e-Government: Overcoming Obstacles to European Public Services. 5th European Conference on eGovernment.

  • Learning, the Internet and Society

    ICTs have the potential to transform how, what and where people learn, and challenges existing ideas of what the purpose and nature of formal education is and what the future of education should be.

  • Digital Social Research: Methods Core

    This course provides students with the opportunity to engage with the methodological, ethical and philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative social science research practices.

  • Digital Interviewing

    This course encourages students to develop a critical stance to their own research practice and the work of others. Alongside conceptual and theoretical discussions, students will obtain hand­s-on practice gathering qualitative data, particularly using digitally-mediated methods.

  • Civic by default – when opting in is not a choice

    13 April 2012

    Rebecca Eynon and Anne Geniets discuss the topical issue of the UK's digital inclusion strategy, discussed at last week's OII workshop on low and discontinued Internet use by young people in Britain.