Blasphemy! How dare they sit there and tell me Oregon's Trail didn't teach me anything. For instance, I learned never to cross water in a wagon, cause you'll drown for sure. And I learned never to try too hard in life, cause you'll always get sick and die before you get to your final destination (I swear I've never known anyone to finish that game). Okay, so maybe there might be some truth to the report after all is said and done.

From the article:

Educational software, a $2 billion-a-year industry that has become the darling of school systems across the country, has no significant impact on student performance, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Education.

The long-awaited report amounts to a rebuke of educational technology, a business whose growth has been spurred by schools desperate for ways to meet the testing mandates of President Bush's No Child Left Behind law.

The technology -- ranging from snazzy video-game-like programs played on Sony PlayStations to more rigorous drilling exercises used on computers -- has been embraced by low-performing schools as an easy way to boost student test scores.

But the industry has also been plagued by doubts about the technology's effectiveness, as well as high-profile bribery scandals.

The study, released Wednesday night, is expected to further inflame the debate about education technology on Capitol Hill as lawmakers consider whether to renew No Child Left Behind this year.

"We are concerned that the technology that we have today isn't being utilized as effectively as it can be to raise student achievement," said Katherine McLane, spokeswoman for the Department of Education.

Read the full article over at indystar.com