Homework Study Shows the Internet to be In-Vogue and Invaluable for Canadian Students with Home Access

According to Intel's recent Homework Survey, conducted by the Angus Reid Group*, students (aged 12 to 17) are now spending an average of 7.6 hours a week on homework, (over an hour more than was reported in a similar study conducted by Intel in 1998). Students also reported spending an average of 3.4 hours per week on the computer doing academic homework (one hour more than last year) and 2.2 hours per week on the Internet doing research for homework assignments.

Using the Internet as a resource for homework is favoured by students and parents alike, with eight out of ten parents surveyed believing that having Internet access has had a positive impact on their child's learning ability (84%) , and quality of homework (80%). This is good news for the 57 per cent of parents surveyed who cited 'educational purposes' as their prime reason for buying a home computer.

"I feel that since we've had our computer and Internet access, a whole new world for learning has been opened for my children. It's extremely important for children to understand and learn to use these tools," says survey respondent Ron Kallio of Edmonton, Alberta. In fact, 75 per cent of parents surveyed feel that learning about computers is "as important as reading, writing and arithmetic" for their children's future.

"The Internet is an exciting way for students to learn and do research for homework ," says Doug Cooper, marketing manager for Intel Canada Ltd. "Six out of ten children who responded to our survey say they "constantly" or "frequently" learn new things when they are on the Internet. Kids can explore on-line encyclopedias, educational Web sites and interactive learning games that are useful for homework, while still being lots of fun."

Overall, science tops the list of school subjects that teens research on-line (62 per cent), followed by social studies (42 per cent), English (36 per cent), history (35 per cent) and geography (25 per cent).

Time spent on academic homework and time spent on the computer on non-homework related activities vary considerably between the sexes. Intel's survey shows that teenage girls spend an average of one hour a week more on their homework than teenage boys (8.2 hours a week versus 6.9 hours), but when it comes time spent 'surfing' or Internet entertainment, boys lead the way. Teenage boys admitted to spending an average of 7.1 hours a week 'surfing' the Internet for information not related to school assignments, (compared with 4.9 hours a week for girls) and 8.4 hours a week on the Internet for entertainment (compared with 6.0 hours for girls).

Despite children's increasing use of computers and the Internet, teenage boys and girls still agree that there's still a role for Mom and Dad when it comes to help with homework. Even in homes with Internet access, Intel's survey shows that teenagers still turn to Mom (79 per cent) or Dad (70 per cent) for help.

To help students get underway with homework searches, Intel has partnered with teacher Stephen MacKinnon, winner of the 1999 Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence, and Marjan Galavac, author of the busy Educator's Guide to the World Wide Web, to recommend these homework helping websites: www.schoolnet.ca www.stemnet.nf.ca/curriculum www.yahooligans.com www.studyweb.com www.homeworkcentral.com www.ala.org/ICONN/kidsconn.html www.encyclopedia.com www.encarta.msn.com

Notes to the Editor: Intel's Homework Survey was conducted through the Angus Reid Group Internet panel between August 13 and August 20, 1999. 431 Canadian households participated in the on-line survey. Data from this sample can be generalized to the population of Canadian households with Internet access in which there is at least one teen between 12 and 17. In each household, parents and children both completed the survey questionnaire. A sample size of 431 gives a margin of error of +/- 5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/ca/pressroom.