| Chapter 2: | Background |
All of these factors have contributed to the creation of an environment that is compelling students to interact. “A July 2002 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that three in five children under the age of 18—and more than 78% of children between the ages of 12 and 17—go online” (Levin & Arafeh, 2002, p. ii).
In the last decade, the federal, state, and local governments have invested over $40 billion to put computers in schools and connect classrooms to the Internet. Results are positive related to hardware and connectivity. The percentage of schools connected to the Internet rose from 35% in 1994 to 99% in 2001. The student to Internet connected computer ratio has improved dramatically in an even shorter time frame, going from 12 students per computer in 1998 to five to one in 2001. Many students who do not have computer and Internet access at home at least have some access at school. (Dickard, 2003, p. 7)
Magnitude of Student Use of the Internet
As stated in the U.S. Department of Education (2005) national technology plan Toward a New Golden Age in American Education: How the Internet, the Law and Today’s Students are Revolutionizing Expectations , “94 percent of online teens use the Internet for school-related research” (p. 17). However, the scope of the growth of the Internet seems to break traditionally established lines.
Internet use is increasing for people regardless of income, education, age, races, ethnicity, or gender. Between December 1998 and September 2001, Internet use by individuals in the lowest income households (those earning less than $15,000 per year) increased at a 25 percent annual growth rate. Internet use among individuals in the highest-income households (those earning $75,000 per year or more) increased from a higher base but at a much slower 11 percent annual growth rate. (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002, p. 1)