A study of computer ownership and school and home use of computer technology of the students of Alliance High School

This study was designed to determine high school students\u27 ownership and use of computers and technology by gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status (based on free-and-reduced lunch), and grade in school. The dependent variables in the study were (1) home ownership of computer; (2) home ownership of Internet access; (3) home use of computers for word processing, research on the Internet, drill-and-practice, and e-mail; (4) school use of computers for word processing, research on the Internet, drill-and-practice, and e-mail; and (5) alternative location (not school or home) use of computers for word processing, research on the Internet, drill-and-practice, and e-mail. A student survey was conducted to determine student ownership and use of computers and Internet. In addition, a survey was conducted of teachers to determine if they required students to use computers in their classrooms and/or if they expected students to complete homework assignments on computers. The findings of this study included: (a) The relationship between having a computer in the home and ethnicity was found to be statistically significant. (b) The relationship between having Internet in the home and ethnicity, income, gender, and grade was significant. (c) The relationship between using computers at home to word process and ethnicity, income, gender, and grade was significant. (d) The relationship between use of computers at home for Internet research was significant for gender and grade in school. (e) The relationship between use of computers to do drill-and-practice and grade in school showed significant difference. (f) The relationship between use of computers at home to e-mail and grade in school showed a significant difference. (g) Teachers assigned homework that required students to use computers more than they assigned in-class work that required students is to use computers. (h) Word processing was the use for which students were most asked to use computers by teachers. (i) Students were almost never or not at all asked to use drill-and-practice, do research on the Internet, or use e-mail to complete homework or in-class work by the majority of teachers. (j) Most students use drill-and-practice very little. The goal of the research was to inform educators of the equity of access to computers and technology. The results may assist schools in applying for and effectively using technology grants and may inform educators in student-use of computers