Students study poorly due to using computers?

Recently Randall Stross in the New York Times newspaper reported that the widespread use of school computers, especially the 'Every Student One Laptop' program, was a waste of time for learning purposes.

Ofer Malamud (Chicago) and Cristian Pop-Eleches (Columbia) have carefully studied a problem that means 'Home computer use and human resource development '. In 2009, they traveled all over Romania to gather information about the effectiveness of low-income families getting a $ 200 voucher to buy computers on the program . ' gorvernment's.

Many reports confirm that students' learning results are worse when they spend time using computers. (Illustration).

Economists have determined the impact of having lower-middle class students' computers at home compared to friends who did not receive the above incentives. They concluded that having a computer in their home is more harmful than good. While students are loaned computers by the school with state money to benefit their cognitive development and computer skills, their study results in Mathematics, English, and Romanian (shown on score) reduced to 1/3. This is because the time they spent studying was doing homework that was used to access the Internet.

In North Carolina - USA, Jacob L. Vigdor and Helen F. Ladd (Duke University) have similar results. They analyzed between 2000 and 2005 the relationship between the use of computers and the course scores and also recorded a poor status of mathematics in middle school students because their parents lacked attention in management. children let them spend too much time on the network.

In Texas - USA, the state has spent 20 million USD to let 21 high schools buy laptops for students to borrow home. 21 other schools were used as controls. The Texas Education Research Center's conclusion is that the difference in student achievement between the two school groups is only in group 1 they have higher computer skills, but also in every aspect between students of 2 schools is not different. But computer skills are nothing more than sending e-mail, chatting, playing games and skills not for educational purposes.

The report points out that ' there is no evidence that the use of computer-enhanced learning quality and' digital distance 'can affect common perception among social classes (rich, poor) as many sociologists make '. And " computers cannot replace good teachers. They will improve their level and update their knowledge, meaning it is more beneficial to teachers and not to students ."