Gizmos boost NGSS-aligned test scores: Evidence from 93 California High Schools

Introduction to the Gizmos efficacy study

It’s no surprise that teachers and students love Gizmos! The virtual labs make STEM education intriguing and fun. But for teachers and administrators to have the highest degree of trust in our products, ExploreLearning understands that results from high-quality, educational research are necessary. Do our products truly support and engage students, leading to measurable improvements in both knowledge and skills? That’s why we took a deep dive into the impact of Gizmos usage.

Overview of Gizmos online simulations

Gizmos online math and science simulations bring the power of inquiry-based learning to grades 3–12. With a library of more than 550 Gizmos, teachers can supplement and enhance student learning experiences with interactive visualizations of math and scientific concepts that are tough to teach and tough to understand. Gizmos’ research-based approach to learning has been validated by extensive research as a highly effective way to build conceptual understanding (Cholmsky, 2003).

Study overview and methodology

In Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned assessments, students are asked to think and work like scientists and engineers, asking questions and learning through investigation and discovery. The study looked at whether using Gizmos helps students develop those skills. Suppose students have never engaged in the kinds of practices found in Gizmos and STEM Cases during math and science instruction, such as creating and using models. In that case, they will be underprepared for these assessments.

This correlational (ESSA Tier 3) study compared school-level data on the frequency of Gizmos usage and performance on the NGSS-aligned California Science Test (CAST) for high school students. The sample consisted of aggregated data from over 21,000 students attending 93 different schools. The student demographics included 78% Hispanic students, 85% lower SES, and 78% at risk for academic failure based on prior year scores.

Measurement of product usage and NGSS standards performance

In the research, Gizmos usage consisted of three metrics:

• The proportion of students in a school using Gizmos
• The number of different Gizmos used across a school
• The average number of Gizmos simulations used per student

Researchers measured performance using the percentage of students at a school who met or exceeded proficiency on the CAST in spring 2023.

 
Key findings from the study

The results show that increased usage of Gizmos was significantly related to improved student achievement on the CAST assessment.

• Gizmos usage was significantly correlated with passing rates, even when statistically controlling for the impact of SES and student-teacher ratio.
• Students at schools with higher Gizmos usage were 1.3x more likely to meet or exceed test proficiency standards than those with lower Gizmos usage.
• A dose-response relationship was found: the more widely and frequently Gizmos were used across a school, the greater the likelihood of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards.
• The amount of usage was related to outcomes, with more usage significantly associated with higher achievement. 

These results meet ESSA Promising Evidence (Tier 3) and demonstrate that Gizmos can help teachers improve their students' science proficiency on NGSS-aligned standardized assessments.
 

Educators and administrators: Understanding the powerful impact of Gizmos

Administrators and teachers understand the potential of educational technology to serve as a valuable tool for providing all students with relevant experiences and practice needed to succeed in skills-based, NGSS-aligned assessments. These current findings connected the dots for the relationship between Gizmos usage and learning outcomes in science classrooms.

 
Wrap-up: Empowering students with Gizmos for science proficiency

Including evidence-based solutions in the science curriculum is easy with Gizmos! Take a free trial and start your journey of teaching science with virtual simulations!

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