Study says: Educational Software doesn’t work. Darn.

The U.S. Department of Education has released the results of a study they conducted regarding the impact of educational software on a student’s performance in school, and the results are not good. They have concluded that educational software “has no significant impact on student performance”.

The study, which involved 15 reading and math-related software, had a test group of 9,424 students from 132 different schools during the 2004 to 2005 school term. The students were evaluated using standardized tests, and the reports showed that there was no significant statistical difference between students who used the software and those who didn’t.

Katherin McLane, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, spoke on this matter, and expressed her concern that “the technology that we have today isn’t being utilized as effectively as it can be to raise student achievement.”

The study is being played down by officials from the educational software industry, and they are now questioning the training of those who conducted the experiment along with the execution of the study. Mark Schneiderman, the director of educational policy at the Software and Information Industry Association which represents 150 companies producing educational software, said that previous experiments have shown that educational software works. He did give a concession though, adding that the previously conducted tests were not as large or intensive as the government’s study.

A professor of educational technology at the University of Michigan, Elliot Solloway, spoke out in support of educational programs. He pointed out that it wasn’t simply a problem with the software. He said that teachers need to better training if they expect to see results. Solloway also stressed that it would take more than one year before any noticeable effects can be seen from using educational software.

He has expressed concern regarding the effect of this study on the adaptation of educational software by school districts. He elaborated on this by saying that “It is the poor kids who will suffer, because it is their schools who will not get technology because of this study.”

Via IndyStar

The U.S. Department of Education has released the results of a study they conducted regarding the impact of educational software on a student’s performance in school, and the results are not good. They have concluded that educational software “has no significant impact on student performance”.

The study, which involved 15 reading and math-related software, had a test group of 9,424 students from 132 different schools during the 2004 to 2005 school term. The students were evaluated using standardized tests, and the reports showed that there was no significant statistical difference between students who used the software and those who didn’t.

Katherin McLane, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, spoke on this matter, and expressed her concern that “the technology that we have today isn’t being utilized as effectively as it can be to raise student achievement.”

The study is being played down by officials from the educational software industry, and they are now questioning the training of those who conducted the experiment along with the execution of the study. Mark Schneiderman, the director of educational policy at the Software and Information Industry Association which represents 150 companies producing educational software, said that previous experiments have shown that educational software works. He did give a concession though, adding that the previously conducted tests were not as large or intensive as the government’s study.

A professor of educational technology at the University of Michigan, Elliot Solloway, spoke out in support of educational programs. He pointed out that it wasn’t simply a problem with the software. He said that teachers need to better training if they expect to see results. Solloway also stressed that it would take more than one year before any noticeable effects can be seen from using educational software.

He has expressed concern regarding the effect of this study on the adaptation of educational software by school districts. He elaborated on this by saying that “It is the poor kids who will suffer, because it is their schools who will not get technology because of this study.”

Via IndyStar