Re: computers do more harm than good

["Dewey Dykstra, Jr." <dykstrad@EMAIL.BOISESTATE.EDU>]

Doug Craigen writes:

> As for the strong thrust in our elementary schools, I agree that not
> enough data backs it up yet.

While most of us do not come across it in the journals we read, there is
and has been a lot of data on the effect of computers on learning and
training for students in a wide range of ages, in school and out.  There
are meta-analyses even of these works which encompass many of the
individual studies.  Two in particular are cited in a paper I wrote
published in the proceedings to the Computers in Physics Education
Conference held at NC State in the late 80's.

On paper was from Richard Clark at USC which concluded that one could not
conclude that the use of technology alone could explain any of the
improvements in learning reported in a large number of papers, all other
things being held equal.  Another from the U.S. Army Research Institute
which reviewed work from both the private and the government sectors
concluded essentially the same thing.  The 100's of studies included in
these meta-analyses had one thing in common:  head to head competition
between technology delivery of instruction and "non"-technology deliver of
instruction.

In the 80's our own community began producing evidence that in certain
settings where head to head competition was not exactly possible, computers
used a certain way could be demonstrated to result in superior learning on
the part of the students.  Late elementary and middle school students were
among the experimental subjects.  I refer the reader to the work of Heather
Braszell  (Heather Brasell. "The Effect of Real-Time Laboratory Graphing on
Learning Graphic Representations of Distance and Velocity." Journal of
Research in Science Teaching 24 (4): 385 - 395 (1987).)  If memory serves
that issue of JRST was a theme issue with several other articles along
these lines by other members of our own community (Bob Tinker, John Layman
and Ron Thornton).

Serious work in the 80's with settings like LOGO by Papert and diSessa also
point in obviously fruitful directions.

Hence, I'd say that there is enough "data" to tell us a lot about what to
and what not to attempt using computers with children.

Just a thought...

Dewey


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Dewey I. Dykstra, Jr.                 Phone: (208)426-3105
Professor of Physics                  Dept:  (208)426-3775
Department of Physics/MCF421/418      Fax: (208)426-4330
Boise State University            dykstrad@email.boisestate.edu
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"As a result of modern research in physics, the ambition and hope,
still cherished by most authorities of the last century, that physical
science could offer a photographic picture and true image of reality
had to be abandoned."  --M. Jammer in Concepts of Force, 1957.

"If what we regard as real depends on our theory, how can we make
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what is real about the universe without a theory...it makes no sense
to ask if it corresponds to reality, because we do not know what
reality is independent of a theory."--S. Hawking in Black Holes
and Baby Universes, 1993.
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