Disrupting Education? Experimental Evidence on Technology-Aided Instruction in India

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Muralidharan, Karthik; Singh, Abhijeet; Ganimian, Alejandro J.
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California San Diego; National Bureau of Economic Research; Stockholm School of Economics; New York University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20171112
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 1426-1460
• 关键词: randomized experiment; school choice; computers; teachers; impacts

摘要

We study the impact of a personalized technology-aided after-school instruction program in middle-school grades in urban India using a lottery that provided winners with free access to the program. Lottery winners scored 0.370 sigma higher in math and 0.23 sigma higher in Hindi over just a 4.5-month period. IV estimates suggest that attending the program, for 90 days would increase math and Hindi test scores by 0.6 sigma and 0.390 sigma respectively. We find similar absolute test score gains for all students, but much greater relative gains for academically-weaker students. Our results suggest that well-designed, technology-aided instruction programs can sharply improve productivity in delivering education. (JEL I21, I26, I28, J24, O15)