A study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) found that moderate use of technology by students tends
to produce better learning outcomes. The research also noted that students who
use computers frequently often have much worse learning outcomes.
The report, Students, Computers, and Learning: Making The Connection,
evaluated students from 31 countries in areas such as digital skills and
comparing reading comprehension between print and digital formats.
Students from Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, and
Canada were the top performers in the digital skills assessments. Students from
the United States and Canada performed better in digital reading, while those
from Poland and Shanghai were stronger in reading print formats.
“School systems need to find more effective ways to
integrate technology into teaching and learning to provide educators with
learning environments that support 21st-century pedagogies and provide children
with the 21st-century skills they need to succeed in tomorrow’s world,” Andreas
Schleicher, OECD director for education and skills, said in an article in eSchool news. “Technology is the only
way to dramatically expand access to knowledge. To deliver on the promises
technology holds, countries need to invent more effectively and ensure that
teachers are at the forefront of designing and implementing this change.”