Steve Beswick, senior director for education Microsoft UK, said students were embracing new technology and ways of communicating from a variety of guises, via social networking, smart phones and gaming consoles. "They have become the most innovative digital natives of our generation."

He said, "The skills and enthusiasm they have for technology should be encouraged and it's interesting that students feel they're learning more in their own homes than within the classroom. We need to work closely with parents, schools and businesses to collaborate and encourage the integration of technology into every classroom."

Last month, the BCS: Chartered Institute for IT said (http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/careers/3250489/bcs-warns-of-serious-problems-in-school-it-tuition/) the government's national curriculum review would be a key opportunity to tackle what it sees as major issues with the way computing is taught in schools.

The Institute believes there is a "serious problem" with the way young people are taught about IT and is calling on the government to address the issue.Bill Mitchell, director of the BCS Academy of Computing, warned that there was "plenty of anecdotal evidence that suggests the ICT GCSE is sometimes used as a soft option that will help a school climb the league tables".

Mitchell said "the majority of students leave school actively disliking what they mistakenly believe to be computing"