Computers improve exam results. Discuss.

Discussion in 'Serious' started by GreatOldOne, 20 Nov 2002.

  1. GreatOldOne

    GreatOldOne Wannabe Martian

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    "Within three years, every primary and secondary school in England will have high-speed internet access, the Prime Minister himself proudly pledged as he launched a £1bn project to get public services online.

    A good thing? Even Mr Blair's honourable friends on the opposition benches were hard-pressed to criticise this hi-tech spending spree and "warmly welcomed" the move.

    In Edinburgh, ministers of the Scottish Assembly are willing to overcome geographical problems to hook up even remote rural classrooms to the broadband network.

    On countless school open evenings and in school prospectuses, parents are encouraged to marvel at the computer hardware available to pupils. One supermarket chain has even become synonymous with its civic-minded initiative to put even more whirring plastic boxes on school desks.

    Great, except that voices are emerging that suggest the funding rush to computerise the classroom may not equate to improved standards.

    In Israel, nine-year-olds learning with computers scored lower marks in maths than their contemporaries taught with just textbooks and blackboards, according to a study by the respected Massachusetts Institute of Technology."


    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2494633.stm
     
  2. Cheese

    Cheese Doc

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    I'm not convinced personally, every time I go near a computer my productivity halves... does it look like I'm currently doing physics research to you? ;)

    hehe,

    Rob.
     
  3. :: Phat ::

    :: Phat :: Oooh shakalaka!

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    I think net access in schools is good but needs to be regulated more, as Rob pointed out, postings on bit-tech is not physics research.. so bear with me a moment....

    "MR CHEESE, GET BACK TO BLOODY WORK!"

    Ok with that out the way, I think children/students/big kids should be able to view any site (which meets school policies!) during free periods etc, but if there's a physics class etc then a preset "physics" mode can be placed on the computer, whereas only programs and sites relevant to Physics can be accessed, thus eliminating a section of the time wasted on other sites.
     
  4. Fatboy

    Fatboy Bored

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    More care needs to be taken. I spent half of year 10 IT lessons on game sites etc, because they werent blocked. my fault really , however my school has some knowledgeable people in it like me :rolleyes: and a linux box was set up to regulate net acees and to log every site accessed and every user that used it. Some clever goings on, now a lot of the games sites have been banned etc, and a lot more work gets done, except when im hogging the net speed to download video reviews from 3dgameman :D
    So when all schools have this technology, then all will be useful.
    There is always temptation to go on the net, but other than blocking stuff the pupils have to be taught to control urges to go on games etc during lessons.
    Bloody idiots banned BiT-tech so i cant go on the forums now.
     

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