Experimental study of the effects of Cognitive Tutor Algebra 1 on student knowledge and attitude

In the 2000/2001 school year, the Moore, OK Independent School District conducted a thorough study aimed at understanding the effectiveness of the Cognitive Tutor Algebra I program on students in their junior high school system. To allow the most rigorous test of the effectiveness of this course, the study was conducted as a true experiment, with students randomly assigned to either the Cognitive Tutor Algebra I course or a traditional Algebra I course. To control for teacher effects, some teachers taught both traditional and Cognitive Tutor courses. Dependent measures included the ETS Algebra I end-of-course exam, course grades and a survey of attitudes towards math. With its use of experimental design, same-teacher controls and measures of both content knowledge and attitudes on a large group of students, this study represents one of the most thorough investigations of the effects of a mathematics curriculum conducted to date.