Can Computers Help Students Learn?
Policymakers and development experts seeking to improve the quality of education are interested in the role technology can play. Not only do they want to use technology to directly aid learning, but they also want to ensure that students in develop...
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| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/01/13721066/can-computers-help-students-learn http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10455 |
| Summary: | Policymakers and development experts
seeking to improve the quality of education are interested
in the role technology can play. Not only do they want to
use technology to directly aid learning, but they also want
to ensure that students in developing countries - and poor
communities everywhere - get the same exposure, and same
education benefit, from technology as do their counterparts
in wealthier parts of the world. Bringing computers into the
schoolroom is seen by experts as one way to do this. But
just making technology available may not be enough.
Policymakers and development experts need to know how to
ensure the technology is used effectively. To assist
educators, policymakers and education experts understand how
technology may boost the quality of education; the World
Bank supported a two-year study of a program in Colombia
that places computers in public schools. The study failed to
find that the computers led to any measurable increase in
student test scores. Researchers suggested this could be
because teachers and students mainly used the computers to
learn how to use computers, instead of using them as a part
of the teaching process. The results do not mean that
computers and other information and communications
technologies cannot raise educational quality. But it does
offer a cautionary note to those seeking to increase the
availability of such technology tools: being able to access
technology is not always enough - people may also need
training in how to use the technology to reach the stated
educational goals. |
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