Most teachers use Wikipedia, study finds

A new survey of teachers finds that digital tools have become central to the learning and teaching process.

By Charyn Pfeuffer - MSN Living Editor Mar 1, 2013 7:18PM

Think about this: Ninety-nine percent of teachers use search engines, and 87 percent turn to Wikipedia, the Web-based open-access encyclopedia, for information online. Yet the majority of educators discourage students from using these tools, reports a new study by Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project released Thursday.

The Pew Research Center surveyed 2,462 middle and high school teachers to find out how they use digital technology in their classrooms and assignments.

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When it came to Wikipedia, Pew’s researchers made two key findings, reports Forbes:

· First, teachers overwhelmingly admonish their students not to use the Web-based open-access encyclopedia as a source, warning them that its accuracy can’t be trusted.

· Second, teachers overwhelmingly use it themselves for research and preparation.

According to the Pew's researchers, teachers use Wikipedia “at much higher rates than U.S. adult internet users as a whole (87 percent vs. 53 percent).

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Some of the key findings of the study include:

92 percent of the teachers say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to access content, resources, and materials for their teaching
More than four in 10 teachers report the use of e-readers (45 percent) and tablet computers (43 percent) in their classrooms or to complete assignments
68 percent say their school provides formal training in bringing digital tools into the learning process
73 percent of Advanced Placement (AP) teachers and teachers who had participated in the National Writing Project’s Summer Institute (NWP), say that they and/or their students use their cellphones in the classroom or to complete assignments

Read the full report here and learn more about its methodology here.

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Photo: Most teachers use Wikipedia / Paul Burns/Getty Images

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