K - 12 Students

A League of Their Own:  Girls, Math, Science, and Inquiry Through Technology and Major League/A League of Their Own: Students, Math, Science, and Inquiry Through Technology by Dr. Dorothy Valcarel Craig, Middle Tennessee State University.

These are studies of technological literacy patterns in student-centered programs, designed around student research and Internet use.  Dr. Craig presented her findings at WebNet'99.  She has observed:
 

Students who had previously used only drill and practice software or word processing packages had no advantage over students who had no experience in technology-enhanced classrooms.

 

Drill and practice provides no open-ended problem solving or simulation experience, no impact on the inquiry process, no impact on any technological literacy patterns, work habits, or utilization of the Internet.

 

Students who spent large amounts of time on home computers—up to two hours per day—emerged as "experts" in assisting other students, offering suggestions, and conducting in-depth searches.

 

The home computer experience allowed students to interact within a "learning in the wild" atmosphere—unprogrammed and directed by student interests, and gave them responsiblity for their own trouble-shooting and problem solving.

 

Distinct differences were observed in the male and female patterns of technological literacy and conducting self-generated research.

 

Instructional practices, non-threatening environment, encouragement provided by the teacher participant, and the allowances made for each student's preferences seemed to have the most influence on students' progress toward technological literacy.