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Internet may hold key to country's education woes ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 1996 Nando.net Copyright © 1996 Reuter Information Service

WASHINGTON (Oct 16, 1996 4:43 p.m. EDT) - Elementary school students with access to the Internet learn more than those who are not "wired," according to a study of urban school districts.

The study by the Center for Applied Special Technology, an independent research group, said Wednesday that students who used the Net scored higher on nine learning criteria including greater insight into a topic and accuracy in handling information. They were also better at presenting their ideas and could more easily understand different points of view.

"This study dramatically illustrates the positive effects of on-line use on learning," said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of Great City Schools, an association of inner city school districts that sponsored the study.

It involved a two-month research project on civil rights issues among 500 fourth and sixth grade students in Chicago, Dayton, Detroit, Memphis, Miami, Oakland and Washington. Half of the classes used traditional teaching methods, including multimedia computer software. The other half also used on-line resources such as the Internet.

Results of the study could reinforce a $100 million drive announced last week by the Clinton administration to connect more schools to the Internet.

"Our urban schools need up-to-date hardware, on-line access and teacher training necessary to implement on-line communications successfully," Casserly said.

Reed Hundt, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, noted that the Internet might help level the playing field among wealthy and poor school districts. "The dawning of the information age represents an opportunity for equality that we have not enjoyed since Horace Mann first championed the idea of the free public school."



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