Impact of Computer Assisted Learning/Computer Assisted Instruction on Academic Achievement in the Area of Fourth Grade Reading and Mathematics

Abstract

Today in the field of education, as a result of the accountability movement, public school administrators, teachers, students, and parents are faced with continuous pressure to raise standardized test scores. Test performance has become a sole criterion for measuring academic achievement, specifically, the measurement of growth of individual students in reading and mathematics, placing a great deal of pressure on the principal as an instructional leader. The need to provide teachers with individualized instructional programs that are engaging and proven to show an increase in academic achievement, especially in the area of reading and mathematics, while minimizing planning time and resources required, often results in principals turning to Computer Assisted Learning programs in hopes of immediate increased growth in academic performance. Results of this study examined the extent to which the usage of a Computer Assisted Learning program, specifically the Compass Learning program, was related to achievement in fourth grade reading and mathematics in a 7A school district in southeastern Alabama as measured by the reading and mathematics portion of the American College Testing ASPIRE. Results indicated that the Compass Learning program was not found to be effective at increasing student achievement in reading and mathematics in fourth grade, and pointed to further research needed regarding Computer Assisted Learning/Computer Assisted Instruction with respect to student socio-economic status.