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

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. We present experimental evidence on the impact of a technology-aided after-school instruction program on learning outcomes in middle school grades in urban India, using a lottery that provided students with a voucher to cover program costs. A key feature of the program was its ability to individually customize educational content to match the level and rate of progress of each student. We find that lottery winners had large increases in test scores of 0.36σ in math and 0.22σ 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 0.59σ and 0.36σ respectively. We find similar absolute test score gains for all students, but the relative gain was much greater for academically-weaker students because their rate of learning in the control group was close to zero. We show that the program was able to effectively cater to the very wide variation in student learning levels within a single grade by precisely targeting instruction to the level of student preparation. The program was highly cost-effective, both in terms of productivity per dollar and unit of time. Our results suggest that well-designed technology-aided instruction programs can sharply improve productivity in delivering education. Terms of use: Documents inJEL-Codes: C930, I210, J240, O150.

GraphoLearn India: The Effectiveness of a Computer-Assisted Reading Intervention in Supporting Struggling Readers of English

“…We are hopeful that future studies using a larger sample, greater play time, and more effective measures will allow GraphoLearn to be comparable with the few interventions studies that have been done using phonics programs in the Indian setting (e.g., Nag-Arulmani et al, 2003 ; Dixon et al, 2011 ), with comparatively less demand of resources. GraphoLearn, as an tool, works by combining successful aspects of previous interventions, while providing individualized learning for students and easy to access data for teachers, factors crucial for implementation and success in a country like India ( Central Square Foundation, 2015 ; Muralidharan et al, 2017 ). Generalizability of these results will be of question and therefore, it is important that going forward, further testing be done to determine if results improve when the GraphoLearn is used over a longer period of time, with a larger population, and in other parts of India where demands may differ.…”

“…By now it has become clear that technology has potential to enhance learning, particularly in developing countries where differentiation is necessary, but difficult for a teacher alone to achieve ( Muralidharan et al, 2017 ). However, there are still critical considerations that must be taken into account prior to implementing technology in schools.…”

“…A study in India where children were provided technology as a teacher substitute within the school versus a teacher compliment out of school showed that children in the within school group learned significantly less ( Linden, 2008 ). As suggested by Muralidharan et al (2017) , it may be most efficient if technology is used to create what they call a “blended learning” environment in which teachers use the information that they can gather from the technology to guide further instruction. In the current study, GraphoLearn was used as an in-school intervention which was meant to supplement teacher instruction.…”

“…Researchers have found that not only is technology-led instruction benefiting children’s learning ( Banerjee et al, 2007 ), it is also cost effective and time effective ( Muralidharan et al, 2017 ). Insights from studies across the educational technology sector in India have shown the benefits of, and continuing need for, technology that allows for differentiated instruction through personalized learning ( Central Square Foundation, 2015 ).…”

What works to improve early grade literacy in Latin America and the Caribbean? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…However, recent evidence shows more promising results for programs that include a strong focus on teaching at the right level. For example, Muralidharan et al () showed that a technology‐based afterschool instruction program with a strong emphasis on learning at the right level produced large and statistically significant effects on reading outcomes in India.…”