- Speaker: Philip Oreopoulos - University of Toronto
- Title: Computer-Assisted Learning in the Real World: How Khan AcademyInfluences Student Math Learning
- Date: Monday, December 15, 11.00-12.00
- Place: Seminar room 1 (Ground floor at Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1, 1090 Vienna)
- Abstract: Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL) offers an affordable way to implement amastery learning approach in the classroom. However, while experimentalresearch suggests CAL can enhance student outcomes, such findings often rely onexperimental conditions not easily replicated in ordinary classroom settings(e.g., opt-in participation, extensive training and support, and high CAL usagetargets). To assess the real-world impact of CAL, we draw on a large three-yearpanel of administrative data covering over 200,000 students in school districtsthat licensed Khan Academy’s MAP accelerator, a program designed to supportmath learning. To identify causal effects, we exploit within-teacher andwithin-school changes in average classroom CAL practice time—a strategy thatyields precise, policy-relevant estimates even at modest usage levels. We findthat a classroom with 6.6 hours of annual Khan Academy practice (about 11minutes per week) experiences a +0.031 SD gain in math test score performancecompared to no practice. For classrooms with higher usage levels, we findapproximately linear gains, with projected effects rising to +0.085 SD at therecommended 30 minutes per week. Higher-achieving students benefit most, inpart because they spend more time on CAL and progress through more skills thanlower-performing peers. Teachers might reduce achievement gaps and boostoverall gains by encouraging more productive use of the platform (focused onskill mastery)—especially among struggling students.
The Dept. of Economics invites to a Special seminar jointly organized with the Vienna Applied Micro Economics Network
15.12.2025
