Helpdesk Report: Learning gains from ICT use in education

This report looks at the evidence that online education programmes, tools and apps lead to measurable gains in learning

Abstract

The helpdesk query was to produce a report looking at the evidence that online education programmes/tools/apps lead to measurable gains in learning. Evidence should be on low and middle-income countries. Level should focus on basic education.

This report explores the evidence that online education programmes/tools/apps lead to measurable gains in learning. The strongest evidence comes from a randomised control trial in Malawi. The research reports on a maths tablet intervention that shows significant effects when analysing pre- and post-test data. Another experiment reported in a journal looked at self-organised learning systems in India. A public computer facility was used by village children with little or no access to school and achieved results comparable to those at state school. A USAID evaluation assessed an intervention where teachers were provided with tablets or pupils were provided with e-readers against a control. Intervention groups scored significantly higher on key educational outcomes than the control.

Citation

Bolton, L. Helpdesk Report: Learning gains from ICT use in education. Health and Education Advice and Resource Team (HEART), Oxford, UK (2016) 9 pp.

Helpdesk Report: Learning gains from ICT use in education

Published 1 January 2016