Internet Study Shows Schoolchildren Using Computers for Homework

These data are based on two parallel surveys. The primary survey was conducted with participants of the Angus Reid Group's Internet Panel -- a panel of more than 4,000 Canadian households who have Internet access. The population for this survey was restricted to those households that have children aged 12 to 17 years old -- 508 parents and 508 children were interviewed. The survey was conducted online during March and April of 1998. With a sample of 1,016, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the survey results are within 1773.1 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire population of households with 12 to 17 year old children been surveyed. A sample of 508 children (or 508 parents) has an associated margin of error of 1774.4 percentage points with 95 percent certainty.

The secondary survey was conducted by telephone between April 1st and 7th, 1998 among a representative cross-section of 1,500 Canadian adults. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data. With a national sample of 1,500, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within 1772.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

The survey's highlights are as follows,

• Canadian schoolchildren aged 12-17 who have access to a computer and the Internet in their home spend 2 hours per week doing homework on their computer. This constitutes one-third of the total time they spend doing homework.
• Eight in ten (81%) Canadian adults believe that computers and technology have had a positive impact on Canadian children's education
• The computer was chosen first among a range of options presented to participants of the Internet study as the most important learning tool when it comes to doing homework (the computer (52%) was chosen above the calculator (26%), the encyclopedia (8%) and the dictionary (6%))
• Yahoo was chosen by a plurality (27%) of children who participated in the Internet study as their favourite web site for gathering information for their assignments.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Rose Sottile
Research Manager, Strategic Communications
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900