AI Tutoring's Real Problem: Students Barely Use It
AI Tutoring with Khanmigo in a Two-Year School Experiment
A two-year randomized trial in 18 Tennessee middle schools tested Khan Academy's AI tutor, Khanmigo, during daily remedial math. Students assigned to the AI coach gained 1.3 national percentile ranks per term—similar to Khan Academy practice without AI. The catch: 96% tried Khanmigo, but the median student messaged it on only a third of practice days and in just 17% of error sessions. Engagement, not access, is the binding constraint.
The binding constraint appears to be engagement: realizing the promise of AI tutoring will require getting students to use it, not just giving them access.