Computer and Internet Use among Icelandic Children and Adolescents © Sigurbjörg Jóhannesdóttir, 2003

Sólveig Jakobsdóttir, phD Iceland University of Education © Sigurbjörg Jóhannesdóttir, 2003 Poster presented at NECC, Seattle, July 1st 2003 Research supported by the Icelandic Research Council

Studies 1 and 2 Online Surveys (mostly quantitative data) concerning computer and Internet use in schools and at home mostly grades 5-10 Data gathered by graduate students at Iceland University of Education (Icelandic teachers) Study 2 part of NámUST (LearnICT) project, see Nov. 1998: 761 students in 10 schools staff members from each school Nov. 2002: 1403 students in 14 schools staff members from each school

Participants 1&2 2002: 1403 students 13 primary+lower sec. *8 from capital area. *5 from other areas One upper sec: (F) *capital area. 1998: 761 students 9 primary+lower sec. *4 from capital area *5 from countryside One upper secondary *capital area. Grade/year Missing Year Number of students

? Questions ? How can computer use and ICT have positive impact of young people’s learning, development and future? Which factors are influential?

We want...? People to Become literate – (also new types of literacy – computer, IT, culture... ; Icelandic national curriculum describes further) Can use computers and ICT for the benefit of themselves and others in communications, collaboration, creative work, in learning, work, play..? Become better and more active citizens in a democratic society? Be confident, critical, positive? Don’t suffer from problems related to computer use (physical problems, social isolation, Internet or game addiction)?

School computer culture - Important factors See SJ doctoral thesis

? Question - skills ? Changes from 1998 to 2002? How much do students think they know at the end of lower secondary school – has there been an increase in number of skills? Are there gender-related differences in skills?

Skills grade 9-10 % of students that claim they have install software save files delete files print program link to Internet make web page make picture make slides Spreads/calculate find info on web use chat use conferences other Year Sign. higher % 2002 than 1998 in all skills but one (use spreadsheets to calculate and create pictures). Gender differences: 1998 Boys sign. higher no. in all but one (save doc.) 2002 Boys sign. higher no. in all but three (print, use , chat).

Mean number of skills (14), differences between years Mean higher in every age group 2002 than : Gender diff. in every age group grade 7 and up 2002: Gender diff. in grades 6 and 8 and up (marginally sign. In grade 5 but not in grade 7. Gender differences less than before in grades 7 and 8 (strong years or permanent trend?) Year Mean number of skills Grade/year in school

Mean number of skills (14) by gender and age1998 and 2002 Mean number of skills Grade/year in school Gender Girls Boys ?

? Questions - attitudes ? Changes from 1998 to 2002? What are students computer- related attitudes? Are there gender-related differences in attitudes?

Attitudes grades 9-10 Most students positive or neutral. No differences between years except in self confidence. More students 2002 think they are very good at using computers than students Gender differences: Boys more positive in 1998 in all but one question and all but two questions in Imp./future.. Exciting to use.. Too much use bad.. Dislike using.. Necessary tools.. Very good at.. Fun to try new.. Fun to use/usef. Often feel bad... Difficult/underst..

Attitudes1998 & 2002 gender differences grades 9-10 Imp./future.. Exciting to use.. Too much use bad.. (2 q. in 2002) Dislike using.. Necessary tools.. Very good at using.. Fun to try new.. Fun to use/useful things.. Often feel bad when... Difficult/underst. Techn. Gender Girls Boys

? Questions - problems ? In 2002? Do students complain of social and/or physical problems related to computer use? Are there gender-related differences in problems?

Problems by grade level Back Hand/fingers Elbow/arms Shoulder/neck Head/eyes Other physical p. Teasing/harassment Sexual harassment Monetary fraud Neg. friendsh./soc. Neg. effects on learning Elementary Middle Upper sec. School level

Problems by gender in grades 8-10 ? Back Hand/fingers Elbow/arms Shoulder/neck Head/eyes Other physical p. Teasing/harassment Sexual harassment Monetary fraud Neg. friendsh./soc. Neg. effects on learning Gender Girls Boys

Problems by age groups and gender Physical problems Grow with age except pain in elbows and arms. Highest number of students complain about headache & eye problems, next pain in hands/fingers. Gender differences: In middle school more girls than boys complain about pain in hands/fingers, shoulder/neck and head/eyes. Social/psychological/other Less complains than over physical problems. Increase with age except teasing/harassment (in electronic communications). In middle school more girls than boys complain about sexual harassemnt. More boys than girls complain about danger of monetary fraud and potential “addiction.”

? Questions - use ? Changes from 1998 to 2002 How much do students claim they use computers Are there gender-related differences in use?

Computer use at home – % of boys in time spent The higher number of hours students report spending on the computer every week the higher % of boys of the total number og children in grades Boys are also more likely to indicate high computer use among their peers/friends than are girls.

Computer use at school and home % reports using computers 2 hours+/week School Home Year Grade/year in school

How did I use computer last time I used it (grades )? How long ago? Majority of boys (87%) and girls (76%) used computers less than week ago. For how long? Majority of boys (73%) but about half of girls (50%) used computer more than 30 min. Where? Majority of boys (82%) and girls (73%) used computers in their own home. School came next for the girls (16%) but friends came next for the boys (8%). With whom? Majority of the boys and girls used computers by themselves (70 og 74%) but about 20% with two people; 10% of boys but 5% of girls with more than 2. Do what? Most commonly play (87% boys but 53% girls). 20% of girls but a few % of boys said they had used computers for learning. 12% of girls but 6% of boys had been looking at information/materials. 10% of girls but 1% of boys in electronic communications..

?Questions- important factors? –Which factors correlate with computer-related skills? –Final words?

Correlation sign: purple = for both girls and boys; blue =for boys only; pink for girls only bold = highly correlated/significant Grades 8-10

Correlation sign: purple = for both girls and boys; blue =for boys only; pink for girls only bold = highly correlated/significant Grades 8-10

Comments The studies involved show e.g. the following: Higher number of students’ skills, more confidence among students. Gender differences appearing later? Computer access much higher at schools and homes and some indicators in schools that they are more ready for development and changes (less traditional methods) and they play a larger role than before in computer-related skills development. On the other hand, there are large gender differences in grades 9-10 in relation to skills, attitudes, and computer access at homes. Also, students complain about problems, mostly physical but also social. Computer use varies by school but on average student say they use computers for two hours or more per week only in about two subjects. Besides special ICT/computer classes most commonly in foreign languages, Icelandic and math. Computer use in schools may not have increased significantly but changed to involve more web use.

Study 3 Qualitative (ongoing) Observations and short interviews concerning Internet use, age mostly ca Goal: examine how Icelandic children and adolescents are using the Internet Spring 2001 (58), 2002(102), 2003 (114), or a total of 274 individuals observed by about 67 graduate students located around the country. Results from 2003 unavailable so far. Results presented here from 2002 – types of webs

Participants 2002 Gender Girls Boys Age Range

Types of Internet Use Location Year 2002 Missing Learning Info Games Comm. Creative Other Type of Activity School Home

Popular websites???????????????? 86 individuals under 20 They visited 59 webs that were recorded plus a few unrecorded

Popular websites???????????????? Entertainment and sports 62% visited such webs Nobody under 10 Girls more entertainment Boys more sports Example: Girl, 11, at school Student turned on the computer and went straight to the Word program. Did this quickly, with confidence and without error. When she had done that she called the teacher and asked whether she could go on the Net. She typed in the Disney url and looked at many pictures. Asked the girl by her side how she should write Britney Spears. Then went to that web page and looked at pictures there and said: “This is a lot of fun.”

Popular websites???????????????? Games 52% participants used those Not much gender difference Most popular among year olds Example: boy, 8, at school Is in a game, talks a lot to himself. E.g., “beware dumbhead... I am the dog.” Is always moving around, does not sit straight on the chair, talks to the game, has headphones, hits the keys hard on the keyboard, talks a lot to himself, tells what is happening in the game: “hey leave me... I deserve to kill you. Focuses and does not let others in room disturb him. Person sitting beside him complains he is being noisy. Sits on his leg “go away, go away, stupid, stupid, stupid.” Teacher scolds student for not being too noisy. Student scratches his neck “go away.. Go away... Go away you stupid.” Talks constantly to the games (mixture of Icelandic and English). Uses arrows and mousekeys. Looks tired when he is done with the game, stretches, sits up in the chair, scratches neck. Starts another game, calls the teacher but still continues to find another game on Cartoon Networks.

Popular websites???????????????? Information -related 31% participants used those School webs, 9% More girls than boys and more prominent among 13 years and older Example, boy, 11, at school When he get to go anywhere he likes on the Net he visits websites he has already seen and says “Cool” when he finds a page with adresses and is called tony.hawk. Looks at the next person and asks: “Where is this game?” when he is in a soccer/ball? game. Finds the game soon. Sees that his friend is now on a web side about cars and asks where that page is. Appears not to figure it out and goes to leit.is and types in the search word “cars”. Searches but has difficulties finding pages. Finally, finds a sites, which the person sitting next to him asks him about. Has good control of mouse and moves it with short movements.

Communications 22% of participants More girls Most after 13 years of age Popular web sites???????????????? Example, girl, 19, at home. Goes to Yahoo and gets the , has very long password but types it in quickly. Knows the web environment she is working in well. Takes a test that a girl friend sent her. “Ahh.. where did this go, desktop, I cannot look at this. No went wrong.” Goes to a page uconics.com and looks at jokes. Laughs. She taps her feet the whole time. Says “Oh I need to hurry am going out” Closes (disconnects?) stands up and leaves.

Popular websites???????????????? Search machines/webs 19% of participants used those Mainly an Icelandic one leit.is (16%)

Some results/conclusions Most Icelandic children and adolescents have used the Internet at home and at school although use at schools appears limited among younger than 16 years old. However, many are acquiring experience in information search and use of the Net in various types of projects and subjects. Often the Internet appears to be used with or without the permission of the teacher for games mixed with or after other types of use (more work/project related). High use of games could have the affects, particularly on boys, to find other type of Internet use boring. Study not conclusive but provides a kind of a window - provides hints about trends and ideas about further research regarding ever-changing technology environment and use of the Internet. Research on-going –see: