Are computers for every student a wise investment?
A federal 1-to-1 computing program could reap huge rewards for the nation, researchers argue
By Dennis Pierce, Editor
Leveraging the Power of Mobile Learning
Default Lines column, August 2010 eSchool News—Daily technology use in core subject-area classes, frequent technology use in intervention courses, and a low student-to-computer ratio can play a critical role in reducing dropout rates, new research suggests—and the study’s authors argue that a federal investment in mobile computers for every child would pay huge dividends in terms of national productivity.
“Technology is an investment, not an expense,” says Project RED (Reinventing Education), the group behind the research.
The project’s researchers surveyed nearly a thousand schools with diverse student populations and varying levels of ed-tech integration. The researchers found that 45 percent of all schools said their dropout rates are going down—but for schools that have implemented one-to-one computing programs, that figure is 58 percent. And for schools that are implementing 1-to-1 programs effectively, employing strategies such as regular formative assessment and frequent teacher collaboration, that figure jumps to 81 percent.
Based on these findings, Project RED says policy makers should consider the economic impact a federal investment in 1-to-1 computing and education technology could have on the nation’s future.
“The huge economic cost of dropouts is well known,” the group says. “The difference in lifetime tax revenues between a dropout and a college graduate is approximately $200,000. … Schools with a 1-to-1 student-to-computer ratio are cutting the dropout rate and reaping this broader benefit.”
There were 3.7 million seventh graders in U.S. public schools in fall 2007, according to the Education Department’s most recent Digest of Education Statistics. If the federal government spent $400 to supply each seventh grader with a mobile computing device, and then did this for every subsequent class of seventh graders, the cost would be about $1.5 billion per year.
The high school graduation rate of U.S. students has ranged from 71 percent to 74 percent for the last decade. A rate of 74 percent means 962,000 of the seventh graders from 2007 likely will not graduate. If just one-tenth of these potential dropouts were actually to finish school and go on to college, that would result in 96,200 more college graduates—and about $19 billion more in tax revenues over the next 40 years. Not a bad rate of return for an initial $1.5 billion investment.
Of course, this hypothetical scenario relies on a few assumptions, the first being that the lower dropout rates in schools with 1-to-1 computing programs are a result of these programs and not some other factor.
When we first reported on Project RED’s findings online, a few readers wondered whether the demographics themselves of 1-to-1 schools might account for the difference.
“Seems to me that a school in a community with better educated parents or higher incomes would be able to better afford the 1-to-1 [student-to-] computer ratio,” wrote one reader in the comments section of the story. “Those two factors alone could account for much of the improvements that the schools are experiencing.”
But Jeanne Hayes, president of the Hayes Connection and a co-author of the study, said the assumption that 1-to-1 schools are more affluent—and therefore have more resources to bear that might affect their dropout rates—is unfounded.
According to the characteristics of survey respondents, schools with 1-to-1 ratios “appear to be quite different than the stereotype: They are more urban, more western, less likely to be very low-enrollment, … and no more poor or affluent than other schools,” Hayes said. “So the notion that these schools are more affluent than the average school is not the case.”
Another huge assumption is that schools would implement 1-to-1 programs effectively if the federal government invested in the hardware. As Project RED discovered, this is easier said than done: Even among schools that were strongly committed to the success of a 1-to-1 program, “very few” had adopted many of the implementation factors that researchers identified as important, “despite large investments in infrastructure and hardware.”
4 Responses to Are computers for every student a wise investment?
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mconnell62
July 26, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Before assuming that the copy/printing costs will decrease by supplying students with computers, people should look at the impact of the “paperless” office on the copy/printing costs of businesses.
mconnell62
July 26, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Before assuming that the copy/printing costs will decrease by supplying students with computers, people should look at the impact of the “paperless” office on the copy/printing costs of businesses.
rjkost
July 26, 2010 at 3:38 pm
A computer without Internet is limited. How will students that do not have the money for a computer ever afford the internet or will it be the responsibility of the school? What programs would come on the machines and if there are not any when purchased who would cover the cost of the programs? Maintenance for the computers would be big and would the staff at most schools be able to cover the increase in support? I don’t know about you but since the computer I have not seen a drop in the amount of paper used and in many cases it has required an increase. I don’t think the novelty of a computer would last long before the students were back to their cell phones and the computer would be another thing. There is a place and a time for computers but I don’t think computers will keep students in school. If we don’t change the way our schools function and look for a different approach we will not cut the dropout rate effectively.
rjkost
July 26, 2010 at 3:38 pm
A computer without Internet is limited. How will students that do not have the money for a computer ever afford the internet or will it be the responsibility of the school? What programs would come on the machines and if there are not any when purchased who would cover the cost of the programs? Maintenance for the computers would be big and would the staff at most schools be able to cover the increase in support? I don’t know about you but since the computer I have not seen a drop in the amount of paper used and in many cases it has required an increase. I don’t think the novelty of a computer would last long before the students were back to their cell phones and the computer would be another thing. There is a place and a time for computers but I don’t think computers will keep students in school. If we don’t change the way our schools function and look for a different approach we will not cut the dropout rate effectively.
sjcsf
July 26, 2010 at 6:28 pm
very informative. This information fires one up to do so much.
sjcsf
July 26, 2010 at 6:28 pm
very informative. This information fires one up to do so much.
mgozaydin
July 28, 2010 at 8:01 am
Dear Rjkost :
You are too pessimist. I am an engineer. My laptop did not break even once in 4 years. I use it very good I do not want to go to another.
Internet connection is government respoınsibiklity. Every school should have
free access to internet. Like in Turkey. We also have free access to all onliğne courses for K12 for 15.000.000 students. Thanks to Turk Telekom.
Dear Dennis :
I can provide you 10″ 1 GB RAM 160 GB HDD 1024 x 600 resolution
Linux only 2 pounds at $ 180 .
In Turkey we distribute at $ 8 per month 36 months including all interests.
If Turkey can do it, sure USA can do it.
I am glad my theory became a reality now. Thanks for the RESEARCH proving 1 to 1 is good and effective.
Thanks billion.
mgozaydin@hotmail.com from Turkey
mgozaydin
July 28, 2010 at 8:01 am
Dear Rjkost :
You are too pessimist. I am an engineer. My laptop did not break even once in 4 years. I use it very good I do not want to go to another.
Internet connection is government respoınsibiklity. Every school should have
free access to internet. Like in Turkey. We also have free access to all onliğne courses for K12 for 15.000.000 students. Thanks to Turk Telekom.
Dear Dennis :
I can provide you 10″ 1 GB RAM 160 GB HDD 1024 x 600 resolution
Linux only 2 pounds at $ 180 .
In Turkey we distribute at $ 8 per month 36 months including all interests.
If Turkey can do it, sure USA can do it.
I am glad my theory became a reality now. Thanks for the RESEARCH proving 1 to 1 is good and effective.
Thanks billion.
mgozaydin@hotmail.com from Turkey