This past week, the Federal Communications Commission released its National Broadband Plan. The 360 page document is the first step in extending broadband Internet service to millions of U.S. residents. The Plan intends to influence U.S. broadband access in four ways: First, in designing policies to ensure competition among Internet service providers in order to [...]
The FCC has proposed the formation of a National Digital Literacy Corps, to assist individuals and communities without Internet access in becoming connected. Like Americorps, the Digital Literacy Corps, would target communities in the U.S. with low numbers of broadband subscribers to assist them in getting online and reaping the benefits provided by the Internet. [...]
In Pennsylvania a high school student’s parents are suing the school district for spying on their family at home through the built-in Web cam on the school-provided laptop. The laptops which are given to all students have software installed that allows the school administration to remotely turn on the built in camera to watch the [...]
A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average young american spends practically every waking moment, outside of school, on the computer, watching TV, playing video games, or tuned in to some other electronic device. If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online [NYTimes] Kids consume media as a full-time job—many getting overtime [...]
A recent study funded by the U.S. Department of Education found that “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.” The research included 99 independent studies over a 12 year span focusing on quantitative comparisons of online and classroom performance over the same material. The New York Times reports [...]
There are dozens of pilot programs taking place in schools across the country analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of replacing bound textbooks with digital e-texts. While there may be benefits to students in cost and reduced backpack bulk, a Wall Street Journal article found that e-books are getting mixed reviews from students. A study at [...]
For the first time since the .com bust Computer Science degree programs are experiencing growth in student enrollment. In 2002, CS departments across the US saw dramatic reductions in majors, sometimes as great as 70 – 80 percent. The 2007-2008 school year saw an eight percent increase in CS majors. This increase indicates a change [...]
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