Unveiling the Use of AI Tools for Written Assignments among Students in the Philippines

Last registered on March 26, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Unveiling the Use of AI Tools for Written Assignments among Students in the Philippines
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015596
Initial registration date
March 18, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
March 26, 2025, 8:22 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Philippines
Region
Manila

Primary Investigator

Name
Truong Pham
Affiliation
HU
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Elenita Natalio Que
PI Affiliation
UP College of Education
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Jon Paul F. Maligalig
PI Affiliation
UP College of Education
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PI Name
Saddam Cardines Bazer
PI Affiliation
UP College of Education
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-03-10
End date
2026-03-24
Keywords
Behavior, Education
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study employs two list experiments to examine the prevalence of different AI tools used for written assignments among students. We target 600 students at the University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Education. The specific objectives are to:
(i) estimate the overall prevalence of AI tool usage,
(ii) identify differences in AI tool usage across various student characteristics, and
(iii) measure social desirability bias in responses.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bazer, Saddam Cardines et al. 2025. "Unveiling the Use of AI Tools for Written Assignments among Students in the Philippines." AEA RCT Registry. March 26. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15596-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
• Control group: 4 control items
• Treatment group: 4 control items + 1 sensitive item (use of AI tools)
Intervention Start Date
2025-03-24
Intervention End Date
2025-06-24

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Prevalence of AI tool usage
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
In percentage

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The sample is randomly divided into two groups. The control group receives four non-sensitive items, while the treatment group receives the same four non-sensitive items plus one sensitive item related to AI tool usage. By comparing the average number of items agreed with by the treatment group to that of the control group, we estimate the proportion of students using AI tools.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization is conducted using Qualtrics.
Randomization Unit
Students
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
N/A
Sample size: planned number of observations
600 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Control: 300
Treatment: 300
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
N/A
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan