Generative AI is already part of everyday classroom practice, with nearly two-thirds of teachers now reporting that they use AI in their work. But the way we evaluate the effectiveness of AI-based tools has not kept pace with adoption.
Conversations about AI in education often start with the right question: Is there evidence of the effects of this technology? Of course, we want to know the likely effects of an intervention before it hits the classroom. Too often, though, the next question gets very narrow: What have we learned about the technology from randomized controlled trials (RCTs)?
RCTs are hard to come by, so the conversation (and the pursuit of evidence) tends to stop there. Perhaps this helps explain why only 1 in 5 edtech products in classrooms have any evidence that they can improve teaching and learning outcomes.
