TY  - JOUR
AB  - 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.
AU  - Scherer, Ethan
AU  - Kim, James S.
PY  - 2026
ST  - 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?
TI  - 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?
UR  - http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1590
ER  -