Can U.S. Developed CAI Work Effectively in a Developing Country?

Abstract

The study examined the impact of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) developed in the United States on the reading and math performance of students enrolled in the Grenada school system. Over a three year period students in standards one through five substituted CAI instruction in reading and math for part of their conventional instruction. These students were compared to students from three control schools thought to be comparable to the CAI school, and to a school in an urban area that had the reputation of being one of the better schools in the country. The results of reading tests indicated that an initial negative impact of CAI during the first two years of the study turned into a positive impact during the third year. The impact of CAI instruction in mathematics was uniformly positive over the three years of the project. The study also produced evidence that lower ability students may have benefited more from CAI instruction than higher ability students.