Educational apps produce a positive mean effect of about +0.31 standard deviations on preschool to Grade 3 children's literacy and math achievement¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r2 · q3 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i1 Across 36 experimental and quasi-experimental studies, educational apps improved overall achievement by a mean weighted Hedges's g of +0.31. → James Kim 2021

Evidence¶

James Kim 2021¶

James Kim, Joshua Gilbert, Qun Yu, Charles Gale. (2021). Measures Matter: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Educational Apps on Preschool to Grade 3 Children's Literacy and Math Skills. AERA Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584211004183

q3 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r2

Random effects meta-analysis with RVE of 36 studies and 285 effect sizes. The RVE yielded "a positive Hedges's g of +0.31 (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.20, 0.42])" with literacy g = 0.35 and math g = 0.29.

"results from rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental studies yielded a mean weighted effect size of +0.31 standard deviations on overall achievement and comparable effects in both math and literacy"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• App effects on literacy (g = 0.35) and math (g = 0.29) are comparable — related
• Educational apps produce effects about 0.17 SD higher on constrained than unconstrained skills — related
• App effects are larger in studies of preschool children than kindergarten to Grade 3 children — related
• Studies using researcher-developed outcomes yield effects about 0.42 SD larger than studies using standardized outcomes — related