The use of computers in education in 18 countries

Abstract

The 1980s have shown a rapid increase in the infusion of new information technologies in most societies. The notion that computers are playing an important role in the life of every citizen is no longer debated. The question how education should react to these developments and what role computers can and should play in schools is still an issue of major debates. There are several theoretical perspectives on the role of computers in education and many claims exist as to the potential power of computers as instructional aids. Many countries have adopted policies for the systematic introduction of computers in education. However, the major question still is: How should new information technologies be inlxoduced in education and to what degree are the expected effects of policies actually realized in educational practice? The major goal of the Computers in Education study (Comped) of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (lEA) is to collect longitudinal and crossnational comparative data in order to contribute to the evaluation of policies on (the introduction of) computers in the countries that are participating in the project. This paper contains a summary of results collected in stage 1 of the study (see below), more fully described in Pelgrum & Plomp (1991), and provides some possible implications for educational policy.