By: Katie Drake

Introduction  I am going to be researching this because computers are used in classrooms everyday. It is becoming a norm to have a computer in the classroom. There are often two sides when talking about computers in the classroom. One side being that computers can be an advantage to learning and the other side being that computers can hinder students learning.

Introduction continued  During the 1980s few teachers knew how to use computers and even fewer were willing to use a computer and now today every teacher in our nation has a computer in their classroom (Hermes). When you think about how much has changed since then it is mind blowing.

Introduction continued  Because computers are being used so much in the classroom there can be controversy about whether it is helpful or not to students. There are arguments for why it is helpful including portable within the school, allows file sharing, provides immediate data processing, facilitates group work, flexible, and access to expert resources (multimedia in the classroom). Some arguments for why it is not helpful for the classroom is that students can get distracted doing other things on computers and they are just getting information not actually learning it. So the main question is are computers helping us in the classroom or only providing a distraction?

Research  The Laptop Learning Challenge by the National Science Teachers Association listed several advantages for using laptop computers in educational settings, that include  Immediate feedback and analysis allows next-step decision making in the field  Portable within the school, outside the classroom  Allow file-sharing  Facilitate group work and collaboration  Generate reports and presentations  Flexible and inventive uses  Access to expert resources on the Internet or through

Research continued  An article I found from the University of Michigan in the department of psychology states, “The most important aspect of computers in education is that they provide drill and practice for the student. Unlike teacher instruction, which may become tedious over time, computers provide motivation to the student to continue learning.”

Research continued  From the same article from the University of Michigan psychology department it shows the down side to computers.  The article talks about how computers themselves do not change the nature of teaching and learning, but it is up to the teacher and how they use the technology for a good learning enviornment.  Another con can be that students often play games or go on other sites that distract from the learning that should be going on in the classroom (Demerica).  Lastly, computers can be very expensive for a school to have in the classroom (Ramey).

Survey  I surveyed my peers in class and at work who are in school to find out their opinions of having computers in the classroom. There was a lot of feedback from the ten people that I surveyed about the matter. I think that it is important to get other peoples perspectives on the matter.  I went about collecting my data by asking each person what their position was on the matter and why.

Data  I interviewed ten students and used google forms to collect data that I either met in the classroom or at work and these are my findings.  9 out of the 10 students I talked too said that computers in the classroom were very helpful when it comes to learning.  Each student I talked too who said that computers were helpful stated the same reasons I provided by my research. The one reason that I found by interviewing that I did not find in my research was that students who are in college and who use computers in class have a more effective way of writing notes and keeping them organized.  The one student who said that computers were not a help in the classroom said that he had this view because he feels that they are too much of a distraction.

Conclusion  After my research and interviewing I really was not all that surprised with my findings. I think that computers are very useful in classrooms and I see what they can do for students. I wasn’t shocked to find that others felt the same way about it.  If I were to follow up on this research I would like to see how computers effects teachers, not just students and their learning.

Works cited  Demerica, Jane. What are the Pros and Cons of Having Computers in the Classroom. Education Space. 21 January webwww.educationspace360.com  Education Technology. University of Michigan Department of Psychology. Web.  Hermes, Amanda. The History of Computers in School. Ehow. Web.  Ramey, Karehka. The Pros and Cons of using Computers in the Classroom. “useoftechnology.” 7 November Web.  Multimedia in the Classroom. Pinellas School District. Web.