The case for randomized experiments

This chapter seeks to show how randomized experiments can be productively used to learn about the effects of important aspects of educational technology and even about the effects of important aspects of educational technology and even about technology writ large. To achieve this, we first work through a hypothetical example and then later present an abstract analysis of the example. The point is to elucidate the conditions under which random assignment is desirable and feasible in studies of educational technology.