The Internet has a lot of potential to improve the quality of education, which is one of the most important parts of long-term growth. In a developed country, the Internet is already an important part of education. Many people have said that the Internet has always been a way to learn.
A new study of schools in Texas shows that students did better in school when they had more access to the internet. Along with that, it also leads to more problems with students’ behaviour.
Scientists from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Notre Dame work together on the study.
Scientists say that it’s still not clear whether or not more access to the internet is good for students. For example, some parents and people who want to change the law say it makes it easier for kids to see offensive or harmful content and causes discipline problems. Others think it makes learning more personalised and gets students more involved.
Using econometric methods, they came up with some estimates of the causes that link spending on Internet access to poor academic performance and behaviour problems. Students’ earnings were used to figure out what the effect of more money spent on the internet each year would be on the economy.
Scientists said that this study is the biggest and most thorough one to look at how spending on Internet access in schools affects students’ grades and behaviour.