The Effect of the Computer in the Elementary Classroom: How Will the New Age Of Computers Influence Learning

In a study measuring the relationship of computer skill to maturational and\ud cognitive development, elementary school children (Pre-Kindergarten through sixth\ud grade) were asked to complete a variety of tasks based on the mastery of basic Macintosh\ud functions, drawing, and writing software. Subjects also completed four trials of a computer game and responded to questions about attitude toward computers and home\ud computer use. Performance on the computer task was strongly related to the grade of the child, previous computer experience, and to the current frequency of home\ud computer use. Among younger children (Pre-K, Kindergarten and first graders) computer test scores were most strongly related to frequency of home computer use. Among older children (second through sixth grades) boys performed better than girls on computer tasks. Results, though generally inconclusive, imply a beneficial\ud importance of the computer in the elementary classroom in accelerating cognitive\ud development and suggest individual differences which may facilitate or impede computer literacy. Further investigation is needed to ascertain those variables influencing computer ability and how these variables vary across environments