Beyond Technology's Promise - An Examination of Children's Educational Computing at Home

As personal computers have become more available, there has been a great deal of optimism for educational reform through wide computer use, both at school and in the home. Beyond Technology's Promise, first published in 1994, takes a hard look at the home computer scene. The research reported in the book focuses on whether families are using computers to help children learn academic skills and, if so, how well they are doing it. The three year, qualitative investigation provides contextual information crucial to our understanding of how computers are really being used. The authors draw the not so surprising conclusion that most children use computers to play games. They therefore propose directions that must be taken in order to facilitate the educational use of home computers or any other promising educational technology. In so doing, they examine such topics as parental leadership, the home-school computer connection, and the role of gender in home computing use.

List of contents

List of tables and figures; Preface; 1. The promise; 2. Studying the promise; 3. The absence of children's academic computering at home; 4. The availability of educational software; 5. The importance of parental encouragement and assistance; 6. The role of gender in home computer use; 7. School use of computers; 8. Children's preference for games; 9. Refining a new technology as a social innovation; 10. Viewing technology change as a social process; 11. Re-examining the home-school computer connection; 12. Where do we go from here?; Appendices; References; Index.

Summary

After taking a hard look at the computer scene in a three year investigation and drawing the not surprising conclusion that most children use computers to play games, this text, first published in 1994, proposes directions to be taken to facilitate the educational use of computers and other promising technology.

Product details

• Authors: Jo Anne Bauer, Bauer Jo Anne, Joseph B. Giacquinta, Jane E. Levin, Levin Jane E.
• Publisher: Cambridge Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 28.01.1994
• EAN: 9780521404471
• ISBN: 978-0-521-40447-1
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 234 mm x 16 mm
• Weight: 550 g
• Subjects: Education and learning > Learning aids/university-entrance diploma theory; Guides > Self-help, everyday life > Family; Humanities, art, music > Education > Education system; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > IT, data processing > Application software; EDUCATION / Computers & Technology, Human-Computer Interaction, Human–computer interaction, COMPUTERS / Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), EDUCATION / Teaching / Materials & Devices