Re-Kindling Learning : eReaders in Lagos
Empirical literature on digital technologies for student learning is generally unable to identify separately whether learning gains arise from reciprocity in response to the gift of a valuable gadget (the 'gadget effect') or from...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2018
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/659331544105347027/Re-Kindling-Learning-eReaders-in-Lagos http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30987 |
| Summary: | Empirical literature on digital
technologies for student learning is generally unable to
identify separately whether learning gains arise from
reciprocity in response to the gift of a valuable gadget
(the 'gadget effect') or from increasing
exposure to relevant materials (the 'content
effect'). This paper attempts to disentangle these
mechanisms using a randomized control trial in junior
secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria. It estimates three
contrasts: (i) the effect of just receiving an eReader with
non-curriculum content, (ii) the marginal effects of
receiving an eReader with curriculum text books, and (iii)
the marginal effects (relative to ii) of receiving
curriculum with supplementary current and remedial
instructional content. The findings show that six to eight
months of exposure to eReaders led to modest positive
impacts on learning, but only if the devices had curriculum
material and were filling input gaps resulting from a lack
of textbooks. Consistent with other recent findings, even
six to eight months of exposure to eReaders with
non-curriculum recreational material reduced student
learning outcomes. These results demonstrate that the
promise of digital solutions to improve learning depends
largely on the extent that these solutions address unmet
access to instructional material. The paper also finds that
exposure to eReaders improved student retention. However,
these impacts are not very robust and could be achieved much
more cost-effectively through the provision of information
about the economic returns to education. |
|---|