Do Computers Help Students Learn???

I'm asking for your help to look at an issue that there still seems to be some controversy over. Are computers in school good for kids, or do they draw them away from more meaningful educational activities? My immediate response: it all depends on how you're using them. Simply having computers, or teaching kids how to use common applications like PowerPoint and MS Word, will not translate into greater student success. Students need consistent access to high-quality educational activities, and computers can provide those kinds of activities, and can even tailor them to individual needs. As with many controversial topics, though, research seems to go both ways on this. On one hand, some researchers point to the responses of teachers, students, and parents who are pleased with increased access to technology and point to positive changes in education because of it. On the other hand, other researchers see little or nothing gained and sometimes even detrimental effects on test scores because of increased technology use. This debate isn't just academic: schools are trying to decide whether to embrace or dump one-to-one programs that give each student a laptop of their own. So when you look at the relevant research, what do you conclude? Do computers in schools help students learn? Do we need to use them more or less frequently?