Effectiveness of digital learning materials on students' achievement in science: A meta-analysis

Researchers have been examining educational resources and content to enhance and support the learning experience. As technology continues to transform the way we learn and access information, digital learning materials have become increasingly popular in modern education. This study looked at how different kinds of digital learning materials affected science students’ learning achievement. The moderator variables used were grade level (kindergarten, primary, intermediate, and secondary), subject (biological sciences, general science, and physical sciences), and length of exposure (1 to 3 weeks, 4 to 6 weeks, and 10 to 12 weeks). A total of 14 studies were considered, involving 789 students from kindergarten through secondary school. We found a large corrected overall effect size ( g <= 1.16) with a 95% confidence interval. Likewise, subgroup analyses revealed a very large effect size for the subject ( g = 1.516,< p < .025) and length of exposure ( g = 1.471, < p < .025), while a huge effect size for grade level ( g = 2.241, < p < .025). It was also found that using digital learning materials and learning achievement in science have a significant positive correlation (τ b = 0.51, < p < .05). This meta-analysis underscores the highly pursued benefit of using digital learning materials in improving students’ learning achievement. The study suggests that for digital learning materials to be more effective, they should be designed and used in a way that encourages students to interact with each other, include challenges but not as requirements, be of different types, be appealing, and support learning through multiple senses.