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Teachers and lecturers are getting the lowdown on how to use social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo in an educational way.Most schools and colleges in the UK block access to the websites but they are missing out on their potential for education, a government-funded guide says.The report for Childnet International and funded by Becta, the government body for technology in learning, says while teachers and lecturers may be using social networking services they may not recognise the educational potential for their students.Schools could help students develop "e-portfolios" where learners can record their achievements and collect examples of their work, the guide suggests. Or teachers could use social networking services to set up groups that "semi-formalise" students' online communications and "document discussions and milestones as they go".Young people are more likely to have learned their social networking skills from their friends or classmates than from any formal instruction or support from adults.

The British government has created a computer-literacy test that challenges teens to solve realistic problems (how to control crowds at a soccer match, for instance) using online resources. The more sophisticated these tools become, and the more adeptly test makers use them, the better assessment will be.

Becta's "Next Generation Learning" campaign aims to improve the way schools and colleges use technology for learning, and a key part of this drive is about raising awareness among parents of the benefits of technology and the internet, while encouraging them to stay safe online. There is a huge amount of advice and guidance available for parents to ensure their children are protected in the virtual world. Organisations like the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and Stay Safe Online, for example, are working hard to help parents understand more about what their children are doing on the web.