However, there are other, potentially greater, benefits to be gained when computers in schools are used not as surrogate teachers or as objects of study but as tools to extend the range and depth of learning which is possible. In the third wave of educational computing the computer is being applied as a tool in the classroom using standard business type software and adaptations created especially for student use. Using the computer to extend their own capabilities has enabled teachers and students to achieve more and better across the whole curriculum. At the same time it has often been the most effective approach to imparting computer skills which are reinforced through use rather than being learned in isolation. There are many obvious opportunities for such use.
Word processors offer the chance to create more polished writing, free of spelling errors.
Spreadsheets and databases can support the collection and analysis of data in science, social sciences, mathematics and other areas. Multimedia encyclopedias enable students to observe relevant motion and to listen to sounds as well as read about a topic. Software for music composition or drafting allows design and revision to proceed more easily to a finished product. Connecting a computer to the Internet opens up access to vast quantities of information and to contact with other users. Distance is generally irrelevant on the Internet and certain kinds of differences among people are less noticeable.