This government report looks at the effects of different types of software on student achievement. The report covers four grade levels in reading and math, including algebra. This report was given to Congress in March, 2007 and has some very interesting findings. The most surprising conclusion was that test scores were not significantly higher in the classrooms using the software products. A more obvious finding was that reading scores were directly correlated with the student/teacher ration in the first grade classrooms and the amount of time spent on the software in the fourth grade classrooms. There was no math correlation in the math scores with school or classroom characteristics.
One of the most interesting things I found was that teaching style tended to change based on participation in the treatment group compared with the control group. The teachers in the treatment group tended to act more as facilitators rather than leaders, and guide the students through the activities. The teachers in the control group acted more as leaders, and consequentially, used more lecture-style teaching methods to present the same subject matter.
The full report is available at http://www.ed.gov/ies.
One of the most interesting things I found was that teaching style tended to change based on participation in the treatment group compared with the control group. The teachers in the treatment group tended to act more as facilitators rather than leaders, and guide the students through the activities. The teachers in the control group acted more as leaders, and consequentially, used more lecture-style teaching methods to present the same subject matter.
The full report is available at http://www.ed.gov/ies.
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