| Chapter 2: | Background |
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However, research findings are inconsistent. Computers have at times been characterized as a panacea for educational ills because they provide a teacher-independent means of keeping students engaged in “something.” Literature suggests, however, that various factors contribute to computer-rich learning environments to help students learn. One of these significant factors is defining what that something is that the student is engaged in while using the computer. There is an important difference between computer access in classrooms and quality learning applications. Learning applications which simply mimic books miss the learning potential computers provide for interactive learning. This study attempted to present and study the consequences of engaging students in the often missing interactive element. While the results of this study are clearly positive, more longitudinal research over time will be necessary. Further research is needed to build the required quantitative evidence to predict accurately the benefits and effects of computer use in the classroom.
Computer Technology in the Science Classroom and Scientific Inquiry
Computer technology has added a new element to the basic educational trio of teacher, student, and subject. It offers unique and dynamic opportunities for learning in the science classroom. Whereas a few decades ago computers were largely used by the research community, the students of today have almost unlimited access to information on the Internet. Seymour Papert, an internationally recognized seminal thinker on how computers can help students learn, states that students today have the opportunity to be more participatory in their learning and not merely recipients (Papert, 1993). Teachers can facilitate learning using computer technology designed to enhance the collaborative and interactive experience of the students.
Computer technology has captured the imagination and interest of educators across America. This new information system is now causing educators from all levels to rethink the very nature of learning and teaching. Papert (1993) refers to the computer as the “children’s machine” because most students do not know a world without the computer. He states that while it may baffle adults, it is an integral part of the world of today’s children, as opposed to yesterday’s children. Today’s children play, are entertained by, and learn with the computer.