apps study

Research says these math, ELA apps may be the most effective


When used regularly, some apps show a correlation to increased student achievement

Most school’s aren’t using learning apps enough to actually impact student outcomes–but some might help students increase achievement, according to new research from BrightByes.

Many students don’t meet the target number of instructional minutes ed-tech app providers recommend, and average app use of fairly low across schools and districts.

The study, authored by Dr. Ryan Baker, director of the Penn Center for Learning Analytics, uses data from 48 school districts with more than 390,000 students. It measures digital app use in three areas: investment (subscription cost, number of licenses, and active/inactive users), engagement (student use, session duration, frequency, and quality), and impact (relationship between standardized test scores and student use).

The research revealed a few key findings about general app use:

1. Rates of app use matter–sometimes. Many apps in the study didn’t have any impact on student learning, regardless of student use rates. Still, a few in the study were associated with positive learning gains with proper use.

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Laura Ascione

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