By Nathan Martin August 16, 2013
The promise of digital learning is getting a bit more concrete.
According to a new study from the Rand Corporation, blended learning helps students make significant gains in math scores.
Financed by the Department of Education, the two year study looked at over 18,000 students from 147 schools and seven states (AL, CT, KY, LA, MI, NJ & TX) using a blended learning curriculum (Cognitive Tutor, Algebra 1).
As the overview notes, “participating schools were matched into similar pairs and randomly assigned to either continue with the current algebra curriculum for two years or to adopt Cognitive Tutor Algebra I (CTAI), which uses a personalized, mastery-learning, blended-learning approach.”
The research showed that these students saw an eight percentile improvement over the control group in math scores in the second year of implementation. What that means practically is a 20 to 30 point improvement on the SAT math section. It also means, if adopted school-wide, it would take a failing school and bring it up to the level of an average school.
This is an important development in the campaign to move classrooms into the 21st Century. Good policy and meaningful reform should be built upon quality data and this study is an important lever and tool, spurring meaningful discussion about practical steps that schools can be doing to improve performance.
As we argue in the Blended Learning Implementation Guide, “by the end of the decade, most U.S. schools will fully incorporate instructional technology into their structures and schedules.” These types of studies can help ensure that as schools incorporate blended learning in the classroom, they do it with an emphasis on efficacy and the promise that all students will be served.