Many ICT strategy documents include a section called "A day in the life". The idea of this is to bring the vision to life in a way that people can relate to, by describing what it will be like in practice. The trouble is, many of these attempts at descriptive prose are completely useless. They are often boring to read, and usually either pedestrian, unrealistic or like a scene from Star Trek.

For example, are there really any kids who check their school timetable on their phone as soon as they wake up? And how come nobody in these scenarios ever has to deal with cyberbullying?

If you want to make these things worth reading, you must:

-- ask students what they actually do, or use the research that is available to get that part right;

-- ask them how they would use the envisioned new technology;

-- get it written by someone who can write! For instance, how about someone in the English department?

Descriptions of life with technology should be interesting, exciting, realistic and readable. Why does all this seem so hard to achieve?

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