Extending the amount of time students spend learning (or “time on task”) is a proven way to increase academic achievement among K-12 students. Schools that have shown the biggest gains with under-performing, low-income students have attributed their success in large part to extending the time available for teaching and learning. However, most of these approaches carry significant costs which, in today’s economic climate, are increasingly beyond the reach of our nation’s public schools.

Digital learning, on the other hand, offers an affordable and innovative solution to extending learning time.  While traditional approaches to extending the school day can cost up to $1,200 per year per student or more, equipping and training teachers and families to use digital learning to extend classroom learning into the home, can cost less than $200 per student per year.

Individualized learning & student engagement

Digital learning provides an avenue for individualized learning which can boost student engagement and mastery. When instruction is matched to the student’s level, pace, and learning style, the student can be challenged at the right level, so that s/he is not frustrated by the difficulty of the task at hand, nor bored by how easy the task is to complete. For example, in a 2009 study on the use of software to improve understanding of math concepts, students reported that technology use in their classroom “not only made their class more interesting, which meant they generally paid more attention, but they also noted that the technology was effective in helping them understand the material being presented.”¹

Self-directed learning and college readiness

An important aspect of college success is a student’s ability to initiate and sustain his/her learning outside of formal environments and teacher requirements (what is called “self-directed learning”). As students progress through school, the percentage of their day spent on formal learning decreases, going from about 18.5% in the early grades to about to 7.7% in College.²  Digital learning can play a critical role in helping students develop the key skills required for self-directed learning. Digital learning offers students a much larger array of learning options both within the school day and at home, and encourages them to pivot from teacher-directed learning to self-directed learning.

Parental involvement and the home learning environment

Academic research shows clear and strong support for the value of parental involvement and a vibrant home learning environment (defined as educational resources in the home and parent-child interactions around learning at home). Findings include the following:

• The home learning environment is one of the strongest predictors of achievement in reading and math for 10- and 11-year olds. In fact, for math, a strong home learning environment has the same impact as attending a better preschool and primary school.³
• A case study on low-income students who ‘succeeded against the odds’ showed that what they had in common was a strong home learning environment.³
• The quality and frequency of learning activities in the home is not directly tied to parents’ educational attainment or their household income.³
•  All parents can learn how to strengthen their home learning environment. During the 2010-2011 academic year, more than 95% of the parents in CFY programs reported feeling more confident in helping their child learn after participating.

 

References:

1. Hopper, S. (2009). “The effect of technology use on student interest and understanding in geometry.” In L.P. McCoy (Ed.), Studies in Teaching – 2009 Research Digest (pp. 37-42). Winston-Salem, MA: Wake Forest University Department of Education.

2. U.S. Department of Education. (2010). National Education Technology Plan 2010.

3. Sylva, K., et. al. (2008). “Final Report from the Primary Phase: Pre-school, School and Family Influences on Children’s Development during Key Stage 2 (Age 7-11).” United Kingdom Department of Education. Available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR061.pdf