COVID-19 Learning at Home: What Factors Support Game-based Educational Technology Learning in Young Children?

• In Event: How Can Children Optimize Their Online Learning Experiences With Educational Technology?

Abstract

Introduction
A rich body of empirical literature indicates that inequality in academic achievement stems from inequities inside and outside of schools (e.g., Downey & Condron, 2016; Raudenbush & Eschmann, 2015), and that this achievement gap accumulates every year from kindergarten through eighth grade, especially during summer vacations (Alexander et al., 2001; Entwisle & Alexander, 1992). This gap is likely to be exacerbated by recent school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which mimics conditions of being away from school where students traditionally experience marked learning loss.

Educational technology applications offer structured learning opportunities that may provide a buffer against negative effects of being outside of school contexts. Yet, we know little about how young students engage with technology remotely, and what types of engagement show most promise for supporting learning. In this study, we examine the effects of using a comprehensive digital learning program for children ages 2-8 during the period of school closure from mid-March to early September 2020.

Hypothesis
We predicted that greater engagement in the program would correlate with learning. As exploratory analysis, we planned to explore whether demographic and usage patterns correlate with learning.

Methods
The program/app offers more than 10,000 learning activities covering all key academic subject areas from preschool to 2nd grade, and the app was made accessible for free to all families and educators affected by COVID-related school closures. In-app assessments in literacy and math skills were administered in June (pre-test) and September (post-test) to determine the extent to which program usage helped children learn grade-level skills. Additional surveys were administered to parents and educators to understand how they used the program to support learning at home.

Study Population
A total of 12,551 and 22,258 students completed the pre- and post-tests, respectively (523 students had matched pre-post scores); 6,833 parent and 3,416 educator survey responses were collected.

Results
Preliminary regression analyses with matched pre-post scores showed an inverted-u pattern of results: students completing an average of 6.5-16 daily math activities in the program is significantly associated with greater post-test scores, while completion of less than an average of 6.5 or more than an average of 16 daily math activities are not significantly associated with greater post-test scores (Table 1). An interesting parallel is in the parent survey results, which show that 63% of parents report spending more time working on math skills with their children than before COVID (Figure 1).

This rich set of data from children, parents, and educators offers us a unique opportunity to explore questions that can inform how remote learning activities may be implemented to best support learning in young children. Ongoing analyses include examination of in-app usage behaviors and their relationship to learning gains; comparisons of children’s usage and engagement behavior pre- and post-COVID; subgroup analyses by child/parent demographics (e.g., grade level, geographic location, household income); and the extent to which specific parent involvement and teacher activities correlate with student achievement and growth. Insights from these analyses as well as implications for practice and policy will be shared.

Authors

• Hee Jin Bang, Age of Learning, Inc.
  Presenting Author

• Kenneth Tae Han Lee, University of California, Irvine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kirsten Olander, Age of Learning, Inc.
  Non-Presenting Author

• Steve Schneider, WestEd
  Non-Presenting Author

• Bryan Matlen, WestEd
  Non-Presenting Author