Issue 14

Computers and Schools

This recently released book looks at the educational impact that a set of 25 mobile computers has when introduced into ten very different schools in Victoria. Dr. Lawrie Shears, former Director-General of Education in Victoria, directed the project which initiated from his own concerns about competing claims on the benefits of laptop computers in the hands of individual students. Of the schools involved, seven came from the independent sector and three from the Victorian state system.

Each school tried a different application and the ten teachers involved tell in their own words what happened with these mobile computers, and how they evaluated the impact on teachers and students. This brings a personal perspective to each report on the wider issues of learning and computer technology, which may help other educators still grappling with the transition within their school.

The concluding statements and survey results provide interesting background for future school policy. For one, it was clearly shown that students view computers like radio and television and they are now an integral part of daily life. The results also suggest a gap between teachers who use computers and those who don't, and identify the pressures from parents and the business community for schools to embrace the new technology for teaching, communication and information.

The publication provides valid and up-to-date analysed information on the current use of computers in Victorian schools, and is probably reflective of what's happening across Australia.