National Trends in Computer Use Among Canadian Secondary School Students

A national survey of more than 3,000 secondary school students in Canada revealed little integration of computer use within curriculum-referenced contexts, substantial inequities with respect to student access to relevant technological experiences, and little evidence that convenient access to technology in the home translates into any shift from school to home as a locus of intellectual or educative activity. Substantial gender differences in access to and usage of technology exist, despite general agreement throughout the educational community that such inequities are undesirable. Similarly, the lack of curriculum integration occurs despite general advocacy of such integration and regardless of regional differences in teacher support and training with regard to computer applications in education. Implications of these Canadian data from an international perspective are discussed.