This book examines how children use home computers, and proposes steps to facilitate a better educational use of available technology.

As personal computers have become more available, there has been a great deal of optimism for educational reform through wide computer use, both at school and in the home. Beyond Technology's Promise takes a hard look at the home computer scene. The research reported in the book focuses on whether families are using computers to help children learn academic skills and, if so, how well they are doing it. The three year, qualitative investigation provides contextual information crucial to our understanding of how computers are really being used. The authors draw the not so surprising conclusion that most children use computers to play games. They therefore propose directions that must be taken in order to facilitate the educational use of home computers or any other promising educational technology. In so doing, they examine such topics as parental leadership, the home-school computer connection, and the role of gender in home computing use.

List of tables and figures
Preface
1. The promise
2. Studying the promise
3. The absence of children's academic computering at home
4. The availability of educational software
5. The importance of parental encouragement and assistance
6. The role of gender in home computer use
7. School use of computers
8. Children's preference for games
9. Refining a new technology as a social innovation
10. Viewing technology change as a social process
11. Re-examining the home-school computer connection
12. Where do we go from here?
Appendices
References
Index.