Making eLearning Work - Report No.2 Spring 2003

This report by SAM Learning Ltd. in partnership with Knowsley LEA analyses the effect of e-learning - specifically the SAM Learning service - on GCSE performance. The data-set is 1768 year 11 pupils at 11 Knowsley secondary schools who sat GCSEs summer 2002 and for whom KS3 NP10 data is available. KS3 performance - as indicated by NP10 score - was used as a predictor of GCSE performance. This allowed us to compare - within each NP10 ability band - the number of A*-C GCSEs achieved by students who did (i) 0-1 hrs e-learning, (i) 2-5 hrs e-learning, and (iii) 6+ hrs e-learning.

Summary of Conclusions

Conclusion 1 - Students with a similar KS3 (NP10 score) that did 6 hours or more e-learning attained 1.0 additional A*-C GCSEs on average than non-users.

Conclusion 2 - Medium ability students (NP10 score 5.0 to 5.9) that did 6 hours or more e-learning improved more than average. They achieved 1.8 more A*-C GCSEs than non-users. This suggests that e-learning may be particularly effective with "C/D Borderline pupils".

Conclusion 3 - Boys improved more than girls. Interestingly this was particularly noticeable in average/low achieving boys.

Conclusion 4 - There is a step change in improvement at around 6 hours of e-learning.

Conclusion 5 - Schools in which half of all year 11 students did 6 hours or more e-learning could expect 5.8% improvement in 5+ A*-C GCSEs.

CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION

A copy of the full report is available on request by email: helpdesk@samlearning.com or by telephone 0845 130 4160.