The Causal Effects of the Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) on Educational Outcomes

The intervention is eligibility to win a major prize (one of 50 $1000 gift certificates) conditional on PASS attendance, with eligibility communicated via SMS and e-mail.

2014-03-03

2014-11-07

Final grade, university enrollment the following year, grades the following year, attendance in tutorial classes

PASS is hypothesized to improve the educational outcomes of participating students as measured by the final grade (or a z-score representing the standardized grade) in the subject, university retention in the following year, and grades in the following year. We also hypothesize that PASS may either substitute for or complement other educational inputs, specifically attendance in traditional tutorial classes.

Randomized encouragement design

The participating students will be randomized into two experimental arms, a control and a treated group. The treated group will be subject to the intervention.

Group assignment is based on a computer-generated random number from a uniform distribution. Blocking is by subject, aboriginality, broad funding, and sex.

Individual–subject combinations. Some individuals will be enrolled in more than one subject; they will be randomly allocated to treatment or control for each subject in which they are enrolled.

No

Not applicable

Approximately 4000. The final number will be based on actual enrollment and consent.

Approximately 2000 in the control group and 2000 in the treatment group. The final number will be based on actual enrollment, consent, and the result of the randomization process.

Statistical power is highly contingent on the strength of the first-stage relationship, i.e., the effectiveness of the incentive in inducing students to participate in the program.