Several weeks ago, I reported on an issue of Developmental Psychology focused on children and the Internet. The article I highlighted suggested a possible relationship between Internet Use and Achievement. In response to my post, a comment was submitted noting the difficulty of properly attributing a causal relationship (it was reported that use led to improved achievement) based on nonmanipulated environments (i.e., correlational research). In other words, it would seem just as possible that “bright” kids read more online as that reading more online leads to changes in reading skill.
I finally had time to read the paper more carefully (Jackson, et al, 2006) and the causality issue favoring the influence of online experience on achievement is more solid than might be assumed from my original sketchy report.
One technique developmental researchers sometimes employ to address the “causality issue” when variables cannot be manipulated is to take advantage of the passage of time (longitudinal research). If experiences and characteristics (Internet use and reading skill) can be measured at multiple points in time and the correlation of the experience to later measurement of the skill is greater than the correlation of the skill to a later measurement of the experience, the argument for use causing changes in achievement is stronger. This is what the paper in Dev. Psych reports.
I think the research on out of school use of the Internet is potentially of great significance because the experiences of children vary greatly and potential consequences may be easier to observe. Schools would not in good conscience allow the differences in experience that exist in the “real world” and are thus in a weaker position to demonstrate the benefits of technology. It is somewhat ironic that educators must on one hand demonstrate that value of the methods they employ and on the other avoid not providing all students pretty much the same “opportunities”. If methodological challenges can be addressed, the use of these naturalistic data may be quite convincing.
