ITR: The Educational Consequences of the Digital Divide

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This project examines the educational impact of computing and information technologies, both at school and in the home, for middle and high-school students. It investigates a second stage of the Digital Divide, one that goes beyond lack of access to information technology (IT). It examines whether there are different educational benefits to computing when comparing whites to minorities, boys to girls, and more affluent to poorer children. The research combines statistical analyses of survey data with fieldwork observations of children using computers at school, after-school programs, and at home. The goal of the research is to gain insight into the processes by which some children gain more than others in terms of educational benefits from computing. It seeks to document the educational benefits that are occurring, to identify what kinds of students are missing out on these benefits and why, and to identify what kinds of educational applications yield greatest benefits. This research is intended to aid policymakers who are concerned with equity issues in education, educators involved in providing effective information technology in schools, and to inform citizens about the educational consequences of the Digital Divide.