On education technology, we’re asking the wrong question

[Commentary] Does the use of textbooks lead to better student achievement? Somebody should do the research.

Schools nationwide are spending billions of dollars each year on textbooks, with no clear evidence they improve test scores—and stakeholders deserve some answers. I'm being facetious, of course. Textbooks are simply tools that educators use in their instruction, and few people would suggest that textbooks—by themselves—hold some larger power over whether students learn. But if we wouldn't expect this of textbooks, then why should we expect it of educational technology?