The 5 Percent Problem: Online mathematics programs may benefit most the kids who need it least
In 1924, Sidney Pressey, a professor from Ohio State University, invented a teaching machine. The mechanical device, about the size of a portable typewriter, allowed students to press one of four keys to answer questions curated by expert instructors. A later version dispensed candy for correct answers.
Education optimists were fascinated, and Pressey promised the technology would accelerate student learning. But the machine was a commercial flop.
Exactly a century later, similar programs spangle U.S. classrooms: i-Ready, DreamBox, Khan Academy, IXL, and many others. They are driven by clever algorithms rather than finger power. Though none feature candy dispensers as rewards, some have animations or videos explaining what a student got wrong. The pandemic mania for teaching kids on computers prompted a great surge in the adoption of such programs.
Do they work?
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