Harvard RCT: students learn more in less time with an AI tutor than active-learning classes

___Patrice___ · x · 2026-09-04

Cited in a thread on AI tutoring evidence, a randomized controlled trial in Scientific Reports (June 2025) by Harvard researchers compared a custom AI tutor built on pedagogical best practices against in-class active learning. Students learned significantly more in less time with the AI tutor and reported more positive engagement; the paper has drawn 184k accesses and 166 citations.

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