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How Students Use Digital Learning Materials

How Students Use Digital Learning Materials: Grades 1-5

By Amy Auletto and the E4 Team

Prior to the pandemic, more than half of US students reported using digital learning materials daily–and this proportion has only increased since 2020. As digital learning continues to spread, there is a need to better understand how exactly students are interacting with these platforms.

In this research report, we explore the i-Ready program i-Ready Personalized Instruction, observing how the platform was used by a national group of elementary students over the course of the 2021-22 school year. Our analysis focuses on over 300 million math and reading lessons completed by 4.3 million students in grades 1 through 5 at schools across the United States.

Our key findings:

  • In the fall, usage was highest and students had higher pass rates and completed lessons more quickly.
  • Compared to lessons completed in the morning, those that were completed in the afternoon resulted in slightly higher pass rates.
  • Students in higher grades completed fewer lessons and took longer to complete each one.
  • Students who began the school year below grade level tended to complete fewer lessons, spend less total time using the platform, and pass fewer lessons than students who were on grade level in at least one subject.

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