The Combined Effects of Online Learning and Reward for Performance: An RCT in Rural China

Last registered on January 25, 2019

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Combined Effects of Online Learning and Reward for Performance: An RCT in Rural China
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0003811
Initial registration date
January 22, 2019

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
January 25, 2019, 3:50 AM EST

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

Locations

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
lingnan university

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2018-09-01
End date
2019-07-15
Secondary IDs
gov
Abstract
We implement a randomized controlled trial (RCT) experiment in a rural County of Hunan Province, China. Our RCT consists of two treatments. First, we give an online learning resource to a randomly selected 60 schools (112 classes) out of pool of about 100 schools. Second, we also randomly select half of the first treatment group schools and half of the control schools to receive our second treatment: a performance award (a certificate issued by local Education Bureau to be openly displayed in the classroom). The performance award is given to students achieving the highest exam marks in math and Chinese and also those making the greatest improvement in exam marks. So our RCT intends to see what are the separate and also combined effects of online learning (e-learning) and performance award. We will also consider various individual heterogenous effects. In particular, we want to see if there are significant differences in the treatment effects for those left-behind and non-left-behind children.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
wei, xiangdong . 2019. "The Combined Effects of Online Learning and Reward for Performance: An RCT in Rural China." AEA RCT Registry. January 25. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.3811-1.0
Former Citation
wei, xiangdong . 2019. "The Combined Effects of Online Learning and Reward for Performance: An RCT in Rural China." AEA RCT Registry. January 25. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/3811/history/40625
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2018-09-17
Intervention End Date
2019-07-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
academic achievement (exam marks for math and Chinese)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
study motivation
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
using survey questionnaires

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Our experimental design is a standard two by two RCT.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
school and classes (when there are multiple classes in a grade)
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
100 schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
8,000 pupils
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
60 schools in treatment 1, 50 schools in treatment 2, 30 schools in both treatment 1 and 2, 20 schools in pure control.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Lingnan University
IRB Approval Date
2013-03-15
IRB Approval Number
RGC Ref No. 342013

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials