Social Aspects of Classroom Computer Use
Summary
In the past three decades, computers have gone from being a rare sight in schools to being a resource which parents, students, and teachers commonly expect to find in virtually every classroom. This project starts with the premise that the impact of this change in technology is both strongly influenced by the existing structure and culture of the school and classroom and that it has the potential to change social roles and relationships in ways that have an important impact on learning. Using a wide variety of research methods and focusing on technology ranging from artificially intelligent tutors to Internet connections, this project explores both of these premises. For example, it studies the way in which teachers’ goals, attitudes, and their social relationships with colleagues impact the nature and extent of their use of computers for instructional purposes as well as the ways in which gender roles influence students’ computer use in a variety of situations. Project research also explores the ways in which the use of computers can change aspects of the classroom such as teacher-student relationships and students’ task-oriented behavior.
People
