@EdWorkingPaper{ai26-1590,
title = "Why aren’t online learning programs working better in schools: Maybe they need to be more integrated with what is actually taught during whole classroom instruction?",
author = "Ethan Scherer, James S. Kim",
number = "1590",
year = "2026",
month = "September",
URL = "http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1590",
abstract = {Computer-assisted learning (CAL)—educational software providing instruction to help students learn concepts and skills—is ubiquitous in US schools. Despite meta-analyses suggesting benefits, national test scores have declined during rapid CAL adoption. This may reflect insufficient research on how and when CAL complements instruction. Using a fixed effect model, we find 60 additional minutes of CAL usage when integrated with classroom instruction improves standardized literacy outcomes by 0.061 standard deviations at a cost of $2.28 per student. Yet a commonly used "naïve" statistical model when not using standardized outcomes biases results upward fourfold, suggesting purported CAL benefits may sometimes reflect biased estimates. We conclude the field should move toward a more nuanced perspective by identifying CAL's comparative advantage rather than whether to use it.},
}