Empowering Teachers with Technology: A National Study on a Formative Assessment Platform
摘要
Boosting math instruction and learning in the U.S. is a broadly recognized goal for math education, and the need is particularly strong for low-performing students and those from rural areas. A proven technology-based solution was recently augmented with a virtual professional learning community to overcome barriers for broad adoption and empower teachers. The platform, called “ASSISTments,” provides immediate feedback to students as they solve math problems and automatically prepares reports for teachers about student performance on daily assignments. A nationwide experimental study involving 39 schools from 24 states across the U.S. examined the efficacy of the educational technology innovation targeting middle school students. The paper describes the sample, the study design, and the program’s implementation in schools. Findings suggest that the innovation significantly improved low-performing students’ math learning outcomes and can be widely implemented with adequate fidelity.