Research Synthesis Digital Media

There are many discussions about the use of digital media. While numerous studies from educational research, psychology, and didactics have shown positive effects on students' school performance and learning processes, other studies point to negative effects. Our research synthesis explores these supposed contradictions and shows under which conditions digital media can be used in mathematics and science education. Teachers and schools can use the research findings to develop their own concepts for the use of digital media.

Research Questions

  • What effect does the use of digital media in secondary mathematics and science education have on students' performance and motivation?
  • Under which conditions is digital learning particularly effective for students?

Results

Our research synthesis shows that successful teaching is digital - but not exclusively so:

  • The use of digital media increases students' performance and motivation in science and mathematics
  • The design of media use is crucial for success
  • Positive effects are particularly evident when children do not learn on their own and traditional learning materials are used as well

Scientific Publications

Hillmayr, D., Ziernwald, L., Reinhold, F., Hofer, S. I., & Reiss, K. M. (2020). Das Potenzial digitaler Werkzeuge zur Verbesserung des mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Lernens in der Sekundarstufe: A context-specific meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 153, 103897. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103897 Artikel