subject: Using Technology For Educational Purposes Requires Time And Guidance [print this page] Despite a common perception that a computer can be a prime time-waster for kids, a lot of hopes are pinned to its possible impact on bridging the digital divide and delivering educational opportunities beyond the normal reach of low income families. Entire programs have been deployed from developing countries to poorer neighborhoods in the United States, funded by a host of private organizations, such as Melinda and Bill Gates Foundations, and the government, with a view to involving the disadvantaged in what may see as a true revolution. The central principle has been that on top of enhancing computer literacy, easy access to information technology might lift the performance of children from poorer households in other school subjects and translate into better academic achievement.
It is doubly important at a time when schools and providers of educational content are beginning to embrace the Internet and its riches. Not having a PC can be a critical setback when teachers design homework or school projects in such a way that they entail some forms of information technology. The same disadvantage can be generated by the inability to fall back on such tools as e-learning platforms, CD courses or even Wikipedia. As the Internet and computers become ubiquitous and increasingly functional, IT exclusion spreads towards other areas of life.
Surprisingly though, researchers who set out to measure the impact of getting access to a personal computer on school grades, including test results, arrive at rather pessimistic conclusions. The educational potential of information technology is rarely discovered by disadvantaged kids as they turn their attention to entertainment facilities or other diversions. In fact, in a number of studies designed around different methodologies, the vast majority of young participants reported a decrease in performance in such subjects as math, English or sciences. They surely made progress in leaps and bounds as far as computer skills are concerned, but their studying time in other areas was badly hit by the presence of a PC.
Two things can be responsible for it. First, getting exposed to a new technology always involves some sort of early-stage fascination, so there should be no wonder that the first months of access to a personal computer can mean serious distortion of other life arrangements, including at school. Over time, as children grow weary of computer games or shallow entertainment, they might buy into more demanding features. It is a bit like with a new webcam before you settle down to use its key functions, you need some time for experimentation.
The other thing is parental supervision. Youngsters are in need of robust guidance, otherwise they tend to go astray even with a device with a potentially phenomenal educational value. And it is not enough to configure the system to prevent objectionable usage or just leave a manual (as if it was a pen tablet) for individual exploration. What is necessary is showing direction consistently, but without pushing it too much. Most people, and certainly most children, need competent support and inspiration to optimize their command of machines.
