Study: Computers in Classrooms Don't Make Kids Smarter

Published January 13, 2015

Going high-tech doesn't lead to higher math and reading scores, according to a federal study.

The study on the effectiveness of education technology was released late Wednesday by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, a research arm of the Education Department.

The study found achievement scores were no higher in classrooms using reading and math software products than in classrooms without the new products.

Researchers looked at elementary and secondary classes in 132 schools. The teachers that participated used more than a dozen software products to help deliver their lessons.

Nearly all the teachers received training on the products and believed they were well prepared to use the technology in their classrooms.

Minor technical difficulties, such as issues with students logging in or computers locking up, were fairly common. However, most of those problems were easily corrected or worked around, according to the report.

When asked whether they would use the products again, nearly all teachers indicated that they would.

The report was based on schools and teachers not using the products in the previous school year. Whether products are more effective when teachers have more experience using them is being examined in a follow-up study.

The report detailed the effectiveness of the products as a group and did not review the performance of particular programs.

Congress called for a study on the effect of educational technology in the 2002 No Child Left Behind law, which aims to get all students reading and doing math on grade level.

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