A study from the RAND Corporation and the U.S. Department of Education examines the effectiveness of blended learning – specifically using algebra curricula – for increasing student outcomes. Blended learning combines in-person instruction with computer-based activities, and dynamic education programs like Career Technical Education are more often integrating these highly-personalized learning experiences into curricula.
RAND’s two-year study involved over 18,000 students in 147 schools and in 7 states including Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, and Texas. Researchers found that schools that adopted the blended learning software, “Cognitive Tutor Algebra I†developed by Carnegie Learning, Inc., saw an overall jump of 8 percentile points on their students’ algebra scores; however, it is unclear whether this can be attributed to the blended learning program, to other activities in the classroom, or to a combination of activities. Still, the Carnegie software has been deemed successful in 46 other non-randomized studies and looks to be a promising model of blended learning.
Learn more in the full report and on a related website.
Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager