Students From States With Faster Internet Tend To Have Higher Test Scores 175
An anonymous reader sends word of correlation found between higher internet speeds and higher test scores. Quoting:
The numbers—first crunched by the Internet provider comparison site HSI — show a distinct trend between faster Internet and higher ACT test scores. On the high end, Massachusetts scores big with an average Internet speed of 13.1Mbps, and an average ACT test score of 24.1. Mississippi, on the other hand, has an average speed of just 7.6Mbps and an average score of 18.9.
In between those two states, the other 48 fall in a positive correlation that, while not perfect, is quite undeniable. According to HSI's Edwin Ivanauskas, the correlation is stronger than that between household income and test scores, which have long been considered to be firmly connected to each other. The ACT scores were gathered from ACT.org, which has the official rankings and averages for the 2013 test, and the speed ratings were taken from Internet analytics firm Akamai's latest report.
In between those two states, the other 48 fall in a positive correlation that, while not perfect, is quite undeniable. According to HSI's Edwin Ivanauskas, the correlation is stronger than that between household income and test scores, which have long been considered to be firmly connected to each other. The ACT scores were gathered from ACT.org, which has the official rankings and averages for the 2013 test, and the speed ratings were taken from Internet analytics firm Akamai's latest report.
Simple conclusion.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Cheating (Score:2, Insightful)
Cheating over dial-up sucks!
Correlation is not causation (Score:5, Insightful)
The usual /. refrain of correlation is not causation definately applies here. Mississippi had low test scores long before broadband Internet came along.
Re:Correlation is not causation (Score:4, Insightful)
Maybe - smarter people have faster internet ?
Naw, My connection is 25Mbps/25Mbps (Up from 5Mbps/2Mbps) and I didn't get any smarter.... In fact, I sometimes think it was a dumb move as my wallet sure seems lighter these days.
Re:Correlation is not causation (Score:5, Insightful)
Who woulda done thunk that one of the poorest states in the Union would also have shitty broadband and shitty test scores? I bet they have crazy high infant mortality, shitty health in general, and a high per-capita crime rate too.
Maybe the high infant mortality rate is what caused the shitty broadband.
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Fatally flawed study (Score:4, Insightful)