If the surveys continue to show that the use of computers in schools increases learning capacity and not just provide novelty and distraction, then computers are an important next step in education.
Computers in Education Worldwide: Impact on Students and Teachers
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), about 35 percent of American public schools had Internet access in 1994. By 2002, that percentage increased to 99 percent.
Student responses from 46 school administrations were included in the study and according to a survey of teachers, Gerald Knezek: Department of Technology and Cognition. University of North Texas Denton, Texas USA
Findings
- 91% of the participating teachers reported observing one or more indicators of higher level cognitive skills among their IT-using students.
- The majority of the researcher-observers also reported one or more students displaying higher level thinking behaviors during the IT-using class.
- The student metacognitive skills most frequently observed by researchers were: (a) analyzing problems, (b) evaluating one's actions, and (c) formulating appropriate questions.
- Teachers and researchers reported that the students in IT classrooms developed new strategies for working with peers, were very motivated, and enjoyed and became more self-confident in their work



