[Bridging_the_digital_divide] Increased computer use = lower academic performance?

[bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net]

A recent study of the effects of computer use on teenage students 
suggests that increased computer use may result in lower academic 
performance. The authors of the study, Thomas Fuchs and Ludger 
Woessmann of the CESifo economic research organization in Munich, 
looked at data on many thousands of students in 31 countries. Initial 
results indicated a positive relationship between computers and 
academic achievement, specifically in math and reading. When the 
results were adjusted, however, to compensate for the higher levels of 
wealth and education in homes where computers are more likely to be 
present, the data showed that the more computers there are in the home, 
the lower the student's performance. In addition, despite showing 
higher test scores for increased time spent using computers at home, 
the study showed that the more time students spent using computers at 
school, the lower their test scores. According to the report, "the 
initial positive pattern on computer availability at school simply 
reflects that schools with better computer availability also feature 
other positive school characteristics." BBC, 22 November 2004

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4032737.stm

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