Wanted: Web-Savvy Schooling – Teens Favor More Internet-Related Lesson Plans, Study Finds

If American teenagers had given
their teachers a summer homework
assignment, it may well have
entailed some serious Web surfing
time. Tech-savvy middle and high
school students say they are
increasingly frustrated with the way
the Internet is — or, more aptly, isn’t
— being used in their education.

By Ellen McCarthy
Washington Post Staff Writer

A study released yesterday by the
Pew Internet and American Life
Project found that students are
independently using the Internet for
a variety of educational activities but
do not think their schools take full
advantage of the Web as a teaching
tool.

The study was based on interviews
with 136 teenagers — most of
whom consider themselves heavy
Internet users — and nearly 200
personal essays. The research was
completed between November
2001 and March 2002.

"Even though we spend all this money to wire the schools, we’re not all that
well prepared to use it. The kids really do know how to use the Internet and
they want it to be exploited in the ways they know it can be exploited," said
Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. "Outside
the classroom and outside of any formal instruction, the Internet is a key part
of their educational instruction."

Students use the Web as a reference tool, a homework helper, a method of
collaboration, a source of advice, and a replacement for books and
newspapers, according to the study. And while most of those interviewed say
they use the Internet for education-related work, little of it is specifically
sanctioned by their teachers.

A previous Pew study found 78 percent of Americans between the ages of 12
and 17 use the Internet. Rainie estimates 30 percent to 40 percent of the
teenagers would be considered "heavy" users, those who log on for more than
five hours a week.

But only slightly more than half of all U.S. homes with school-age children are
connected to the Net, according to the 2000 census. The Pew study found
teenage tech mavens recognize this gap as a potential roadblock for teachers
who want to incorporate the Web into their lessons, reporting that students
with access to the Internet know they have an advantage over those who do
not.

Students want policymakers to address the digital divide and administrators at
their schools to provide support to teachers who may not have the training or
materials they need to effectively use the Web, the study found. Restrictive
content filters, usage policies and time constraints discourage Internet use at
school.

The study found that while most students knew of others who used the Web
inappropriately, they said the restrictions implemented to counter such actions
hampered legitimate efforts.

"One of the bigger concerns is when teachers don’t understand what is online.
Some teachers will say, ‘You may not ever use the Web for any project in my
class,’ " said Doug Levin, a senior research analyst for the American Institutes
for Research, which conducted the study for Pew. "Given funding in
education, there are many schools that look to students to run their networks
— and yet there are times when the Internet is horribly restricted or forbidden
to be used."

Most teenagers who participated in the study said they want more
Internet-related school assignments but want that work to be interesting and
engaging. Most students said their teachers did not assign homework that
required the use of the Internet because not all of their peers had access
outside of school.

Rainie said the study’s mission was to capture the experiences of teenagers as
consumers of education.

"In the kids’ voice, they are saying, ‘Help our teachers embrace this stuff.’ The
teachers say things that you would expect: ‘We don’t often get a lot of support
in this stuff — tech support, training, curriculum material. It’s one more burden
on us — we’ve been asked to be disciplinarians, den mothers and now
technicians.’ The message is ‘Help us out,’ " Rainie said.

"This is an issue that’s been raised before, though I think there’s a lot of
progress being made in that area," said Kathleen Lyons, a spokeswoman for
the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union. "My
experience tells me that more and more teachers are becoming technologically
proficient and using the Web."

But training is critical, Lyons said.

"No corporation in America would establish a new computer system and not
take the time to train their employees, and that is happening too often in
school districts."

© 2002 The Washington Post Company

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19910-2002Aug14.html