Be Smart: Blow Up Your PC

For a solid decade now it has been taken on faith that if you put computers in classrooms, students somehow wind up smarter. Now comes an actual look at the influence of computer use on student achievement and it is exactly what any thoughtful person could surmise. Computers, in and of themselves, do not teach kids.

A three-year study by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency found "no consistent relationship between computer use and pupil achievement in any subject at any age." In fact, some of the greatest educational gains were made by students who used PCs the least.

But those responsible for spending huge sums on computer learning say the study proves nothing. In other words, the UK also has remedial education issues to solve.