Study Shows Students Use Internet Primarily for Research

By PAMELA MENDELS


  Numerous studies have established that Internet use in
schools is rising dramatically, but how, exactly, are
teachers and students employing this new technology?

  According to a recent survey, the most popular use of
the Internet is for research.

  That is one of the findings of a study scheduled to be
released in late May by Quality Education Data, a market
research company that studies trends in education.
Preliminary findings of the study were released this
week at a trade show on education and technology in New
York City, SchoolTech, and a company official
fleshed-out the findings at the request of a reporter.

  In its third annual survey of Internet use in schools,
the company surveyed about 400 K-12 teachers at public
schools throughout the country.

  The study, conducted by telephone in February, found
that about 82 percent of schools are connected to the
Internet. Less than half were wired when the study was
first conducted in 1996. Increasingly, classrooms --
rather than libraries or computer labs -- are being
wired, too, according to Karin K. Hendersin, director of
market research for the Denver-based company.

  Indeed, about 65 percent of the teachers who responded
to the survey said that they use the Internet in their
work -- and close to 30 percent reported using it daily.

  The largest group, 69 percent of those who turn to the
Internet at least once weekly as a teaching aid, said
that they use it for research.

  The next largest group -- 66 percent -- browse the
Internet to get curriculum material. The third most
popular use, by 46 percent of the teachers
participating, was for professional development,
followed closely, at 44 percent, by lesson planning.
About 35 percent said they use the Internet as a
"presentation tool" to display material to their
students in the classroom.

  Most teachers reported that the students in their
classes spent an hour or less a week doing "hands-on"
Internet work. But almost a quarter -- 23 percent --
reported that students in their class spend up to two
hours online. Research was the most widespread use, with
49 percent of teachers reporting that their students
used the Internet at least once a week for this purpose.
Twenty one percent reported students doing online
projects in class and 19 percent reported that the
students used e-mail in the classroom.

  The study also asked the teachers to name the three
Web sites that they use most often in their profession.
The most popular site, named by 11 percent of
respondents, was the United States Department of
Education site, followed by the Educational Resources
Information Clearinghouse and the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) Web site.

  Related Sites

Quality Education Data
--> http://www.qeddata.com/

SchoolTech Exposition & Conference
--> http://www.qeddata.com/

U.S. Department of Education
--> http://www.ed.gov/

Educational Resources Information Center
--> http://www.aspensys.com/eric/

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
--> http://www.nasa.gov/

  ___________________
  Pamela Mendels at [log in to unmask] welcomes your
comments and suggestions.


Tuesday, April 28, 1998 Copyright 1998 The New York
Times