PCs for Families: A study of early intervention using networked computing in education

With the PCs for Families project, we wish to determine whether, under the best of circumstances, ubiquitous access to networked computing by both stu dents and their families has measurable effect on long-term student achieve ment. We are interested in how networked computing effects students' educat ional achievements, the attitude and professional development of the teache r and support instructor, and how families support their students and react to the new technologies in their homes. In this article, we discuss the de sign of the PCs for Families experiment, a longitudinal quantitative and et hnographic study of networked computing in the fifth-grade classroom. We co ver our experimental methodology and provide an overview of what we have le arned.