Computer applications and student achievement in a model technology school

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships between time spent in minutes on different computer applications and student achievement in reading and language arts. Further, this study considered that relationships differed for male and female students. In addition, differences in computer usage between students of different grade levels and of different genders were reported. Data were collected from two hundred forty-eight students in grades one, two, and three at an elementary school in East Tennessee. Scores from the 1993 spring administration of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) were obtained in vocabulary, reading comprehension, total reading, language expression, language mechanics, and total language. In addition, computer records were collected for these students which contained information concerning the time spent on different computer activities. Activities were categorized according to the computer application they represented. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients were computed to determine the relationships between variables. No significant relationships were found between time spent on tutorial applications and achievement test scores of primary grade students. Tutorial applications include both drill and practice and tutorial activities. Significant relationships were found for female students in grades one and two between time on techniques applications and achievement scores in reading and language arts. Techniques applications consisted of word processing, desktop publishing, and writing cartoon captions. Significant relationships were also found for female first and second graders between total time on reading and language arts activities and achievement test scores. Total time on reading and language arts activities was the combined time spent on tutorial and techniques applications.