Not everyone supports the onslaught of computers and online access rolling into American classrooms.

The nonprofit Learning in the Real World organization is bringing like-minded doubters together to prove that not enough is known regarding the long-term impact of computers on the learning process, the Washington Post reports.

The group is not disputing the need for students to become computer literate. Rather, leaders say they are concerned that schools are looking for high-tech answers for teaching math, reading and other basic subjects when traditional hands-on learning is much more effective, especially for younger children.

"We know that physical activity is crucial in building the mind and the nervous system," William Rukeyser, Learning in the Real World's director, told the Post.

Rukeyser also argues that federal government initiatives to spend billions to wire schools drain away resources that could be used for proven education programs.

Opponents of his argument, however, maintain that the benefits of using computers as a primary teaching aide are proven. They say the interactivity computer programs afford helps children visualize concepts in ways traditional reading or lecturing methods cannot, the newspaper reports.

Many experts say they can find little evidence for a direct link between computer use and improved academic skills, the Post reports.

The Post on Tuesday also published an editorial questioning the effectiveness of online curriculums being offered by universities. Some school officials are wondering if giving the professors the ability to independently market lectures that were taught as part of their institution's curriculum will reduce the incentive for students to enroll.

The newspaper argues that the worries are "just another one of those fervid, mostly-overblown predictions of how the Internet will alter human behavior."

The Washington Post Co. owns the all-online Concord School of Law at Harvard University -- one of the institutions questioning the long-term effects of the Internet on higher education.

Full text of the article is currently found at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/
A49250-2000May1.html