Skip Navigation small NCES header image  Education in States and
Nations: 1991  (ESN) Indicator 17: Student use of technology
The forms of technology utilized in schools can affect both the
types of skills taught in the classroom and the potential for
academically sophisticated assignments and exercises. For
example, in math courses in which calculators are used, students
can spend more time solving complex and challenging problems and
less on doing routine computations by hand. Likewise, students
with access to computers can generate and edit work more
efficiently and, thus, potentially free time to master higher
levels of writing skill. Needless to say, student use of
technology is affected by its availability. Therefore, varying
levels of resources among countries and nations factor
significantly into this measure.    • n 1991, 54 percent of
students in the United States reported using calculators in
school, a proportion that fell mid-range among all the countries
included here. Ninety percentage points s