Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers' Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia
This study reports results from a randomized evaluation of a mandatory six-month Internet-based sexual education course implemented across public junior high schools in 21 Colombian cities. Six months after finishing the course, the study finds a 0...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/936401555505751901/Do-Information-Technologies-Improve-Teenagers-Sexual-Education-Evidence-from-a-Randomized-Evaluation-in-Colombia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31563 |
| Summary: | This study reports results from a
randomized evaluation of a mandatory six-month
Internet-based sexual education course implemented across
public junior high schools in 21 Colombian cities. Six
months after finishing the course, the study finds a 0.4
standard deviation improvement in knowledge, a 0.2 standard
deviation improvement in attitudes, and a 55 percent
increase in the likelihood of redeeming vouchers for condoms
as a result of taking the course. The data provide no
evidence of spillovers to control classrooms within
treatment schools, and it finds that treatment effects are
enhanced when a larger share of a student's friends
also takes the course. The low cost of the online course
along with the effectiveness the study documents suggests
this technology is a viable alternative for improving sexual
education in middle-income countries. |
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