Becta, the UK Government”s lead agency for ICT in education has recently published volume 3 (2008) of its Research Report “Emerging technologies for learning”, a publication which aims
to help readers consider how emerging technologies may influence education in the medium term. Its content is an article by Emma Tonkin, Interoperability Focus Officer at UKOLN, entitled “If it quacks like a duck: Developments in search technologies”. In this contribution Emma examines some of the widely held assumptions about the ICT usage and behaviour of young learners
on the subject of searching for information and lays open some of the misunderstandings that abound within this area.