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The personal computer at home: Family use and teacher encouragement for student learning
Abstract
This study explores the nature of computing-at-home for student learning and examines some ways computer-using teachers are encouraging use of personal computers at home. The study answered two research questions: (1) How do families who have a personal computer at home use them for student learning? (2) To what extent do computer-using teachers encourage their students to use home personal computers for learning? Data were collected from two samples. The first consisted of PC-owners who read A+ Magazine. This sample of self-selected participants described, in 500-words, how they used their Apple II to teach at home. Using content analysis, the investigator documented three patterns of how families used PCs at home for student learning: (1) Parent as Child's Teacher; (2) Child as Teacher; and (3) Child Teaching Self. Data also implied that families considered the PC a valuable educational tool that increased learning and helped improve attitudes toward learning. The second sample consisted of 178 computer-using teachers who attended the Minnesota Educational Computing Conference on November 12-14, 1989. Data collected from a self-administered questionnaire implied 79% of the sample encouraged students to use PCs at home. Seventy-two percent indicated they had talked with students' parents about using PCs at home to promote learning, and 46% indicated they had loaned software to students for use at home to reinforce a concept or skill. The study also uncovered data for future research. A statistically significant relationship existed between teacher PC ownership and (a) teacher encouragement of students use of home PCs to complete school-related assignments, and (b) teachers talking with students' parents about using the home PC to promote learning. Recommendations for practice were proposed. The primary recommendation was to encourage educators and school districts to explore ways to support use of PCs by families, while also being conscious of issues of equity. In order for the home-based PC to be an effective educational tool, educators need to find ways to coordinate with families to maximize its use.
Subject Area
Educational technology|Curriculum development|Individual & family studies
Recommended Citation
Marvelle, John David, "The personal computer at home: Family use and teacher encouragement for student learning" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9101642.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9101642