Giving Every Student a Laptop Doesn't Boost Test Scores, Swedish Study Finds
A major study of one-to-one computer programs in Swedish primary schools found no meaningful improvement in math or language test results. The finding challenges schools' widespread spending on personal devices and raises questions about how districts should allocate tight education budgets.
Originaltitel: Technology in the classroom: Personal computers and learning outcomes in primary school
<p>The shift to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of digital technology in education. Many schools today provide personal computers not only to older students, but also in primary school. There is little credible evidence of the effects of one-to-one (1:1) computer programs among younger students. We investigate how 1:1 technology impacts student performance in primary school in Sweden. Using an event study design, and data from an expansion that took place before the pandemic, we examine effects of 1:1 technology on national standardized test results in math, Swedish, and English in grade 6. We find no important effects on student performance on average.</p>