Professor Fisman mentions (but quickly dismisses) the evidence that contradicts his thesis: Evidence that shows having a home computer and Internet access improves children’s learning and success in school.

This evidence comes from many places:

• Researchers at Michigan State University found that the more often low-income middle-school students used the Internet at home, the better their GPAs and standardized test scores [1]

• Economist Robert W. Fairlie and his research team at UC-Santa Cruz found that teens with home Internet access were 6 to 8 percentage points more likely to graduate from high school [2]

• My organization, Computers for Youth (CFY), in conjunction with ETS, found that students actively and regularly used their home computers and the Internet for learning and that their computer use was associated with increased success in school. More specifically, students’ engagement and home computer use, particularly their home Internet use and computer use for self-regulated learning, explained 14% of the variance in their math test scores over and above the prior years’ scores [3]

CFY helps low-income children succeed in school by improving their learning environment at home. Since 1999, we have provided more than 15,000 low-income families in the U.S. (NYC, Philadelphia, and Atlanta) with a computer-based home learning center – a suite of engaging educational software loaded on a free refurbished computer. Families that participate in our program must attend a free workshop on how to use the computers to support children’s learning.

CFY has conducted research for over five years and has examined test scores as one of many indicators of children’s success. We have also considered school engagement, improved family relationships, perceptions of increased confidence and curiosity due to home computing as indicators of positive impact.

Our data show that home computing is associated with persistent and positive outcomes. They also show that lower-performing students may derive more benefits than their high-performing peers.

CFY welcomes the opportunity to share evidence about the other side of this story.

REFERENCES

[1] Jackson, L.A., von Eye, A., Biocca, F.A. (2003). Does Home Internet Use Influence the Academic Performance of Low-Income Children? Findings from the HomeNetToo Project. First Latin American Web Congress (LA-WEB'03).

[2] Beltran, D.O., Das, K.K., and Fairlie, R.W. (2006). Are computers good for children? The effects of home computers on educational outcomes. Available on-line at: <link>

[3] Tsikalas, K.E., Lee, J., Newkirk, C. (2008). Home Computing, School Engagement, and Academic Achievement of Low-Income Adolescents: Findings from the CFY Intervention. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY. Available from author.