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Field
Trial Status
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Before
in_development
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After
on_going
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Field
Abstract
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Before
Governments and educational organizations worldwide are trying to quickly adapt to the unprecedented circumstances created by the pandemic, by developing or scaling up distance education modalities to continue delivering educational content to students and maintain students’ connection to formal education. However, the effectiveness of these tools is largely unknown.
In partnership with the country’s government, we will evaluate two remote learning initiatives targeted at post-primary education: (a) daily televised lessons for grades 6-10, and (b) an online learning platform, that acts as repository for the televised lessons and where students can also complete quizzes.
We will evaluate three interventions aimed at decreasing the barriers to remote education and increase the effectiveness of these remote learning initiatives. First, we will reduce the cost of internet learning activities by providing discounted data packages. Second, to increase salience of the options available, we will provide information and reminders about the remote TV lessons and the online platform. Third, we will encourage students to reach out to teachers with questions or doubts about the remote learning content.
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After
Governments and educational organizations worldwide are trying to quickly adapt to the unprecedented circumstances created by the pandemic, by developing or scaling up distance education modalities to continue delivering educational content to students and maintain students’ connection to formal education. This study evaluates four interventions designed to reduce the barriers to remote education. The first two treatment arms target information constraints: The first provides information about remote learning options, and the second provides information about an adaptive learning internet resource. The last two treatment arms target price constraints: The third reduces the cost of internet learning activities by providing a discounted data package, and the fourth pairs students with a teacher that provides weekly support.
The main outcomes of interest include parents' and students’ time and economic investments in remote education, take up and usage of remote learning resources, and learning outcomes.
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Field
Trial Start Date
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Before
September 01, 2020
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After
November 01, 2020
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Field
Trial End Date
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Before
April 01, 2021
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After
July 15, 2021
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JEL Code(s)
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Before
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After
I24, I25, I26, I38, O3, O12
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Last Published
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Before
August 12, 2020 10:04 AM
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After
April 30, 2021 03:27 PM
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Intervention (Public)
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Before
We have two information treatments and one cost reduction treatment.
The information treatments are:
- Treatment 1: SMS/voice encouragements to reach out to teachers
- Treatment 2: SMS/voice information and reminders about remote TV lessons and online platforms. We split the information salience treatment into three sub-treatments:
o 2A: SMS information/reminders about TV lessons
o 2B: SMS information/reminders about internet education platform
o 2C: SMS information/reminders about TV lessons and internet education platform
The cost reduction treatment consists of offering discounted internet data packages to offset the costs of engaging with online remote learning activities.
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After
We have two information treatments and two treatments that reduce the price of educational inputs.
The information treatments are:
- Treatment 1 – Remote learning information: Information and reminders about government remote learning initiatives. We split the information salience treatment into two sub-treatments:
o 1A – “TV”: SMS information/reminders about TV lessons
o 1B – “TV+Internet”: SMS information/reminders about TV lessons and internet lessons
- Treatment 2 – Adaptive learning: Information about an adaptive learning internet resource
The cost reduction treatments are:
- Treatment 3 – Data subsidy: Reduce costs of using internet remote learning technologies by providing a free 1-month data package for 10 GB.
- Treatment 4 – Teacher support: Pair students with a teacher who provides weekly check-ins and support.
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Field
Intervention Start Date
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Before
September 01, 2020
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After
February 01, 2021
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Field
Intervention End Date
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Before
December 01, 2020
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After
April 18, 2021
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Field
Primary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
• Parents and students’ time and economic investments in remote education
• Usage of TV lessons and online platform, completion of remote homework
• Student learning outcomes (about remote education content and general learning)
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After
• Parental behaviors:
o Time and economic investments in children’s education
• Take-up and usage of learning resources
• Student time investment
• Student learning (performance on math and Bangla questions)
• Student engagement and re-enrollment
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Field
Experimental Design (Public)
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Before
Our sample consists of households that have at least one child in grades 6-10. They must have either (a) a smart phone, (b) cable TV access (necessary to access the remote TV learning channel), or (c) both. The entire sample will be cross-randomized in evenly sized cells across Treatment 1 (encouragement to reach out to teachers) and Treatment 2 (information and reminders about remote TV lessons and online platforms), creating a 2x2 design.
For households that have both smartphone access and cable TV access, they will be randomized into equal sized groups across the three sub-treatment arms within Treatment 2 – TV lessons only, internet platform only, or TV + internet education platform.
We will conduct a second randomization for data package subsidies among the set of users who (a) have smartphone access and (b) are subscribers with our telecom partner (necessary for the packages to be useful). This will be cross randomized across the other treatment arms.
We will measure ITT effects of assignment to each treatment arm on our outcomes of interest. For student learning outcomes, we will also measure LATE effects of remote platform usage, using random assignment to treatment as an instrument for usage.
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After
Our sample consists of households that have (a) at least one child in grades 6-10 (grades 7-11 in January 2021) and (b) have at least one smartphone in the house. The entire sample was cross-randomized in evenly sized cells across Treatment 1 (information and reminders about remote TV lessons and online platforms) and Treatment 2 (adaptive learning).
Treatment arm 3 (data subsidy) is cross randomized equally across Treatments 2 and/or 1b (TV + internet). Treatment arm 4 (teacher support) was initially cross-randomized to 1/4 of students (teacher support) across Treatments 1a and 1b (TV only and TV + internet only), though we increased the share assigned to treatment in response to substantial treatment attrition.
Our main empirical specifications will estimate intention-to-treat effects, reflecting the causal impact of assignment to each treatment arm on our outcomes of interest.
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Planned Number of Observations
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Before
90,000 households
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After
6,746 households
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Intervention (Hidden)
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Before
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After
The information treatments will be delivered by automated voice call and/or SMS messaging.
Individuals selected for Treatment 3 will receive a text message offering them the opportunity to avail of a 10GB data package, allowing them to opt-out if they do not wish to participate. We will coordinate with a large mobile provider to activate the package (or enable the package on the respondent’s mobile phone through a non-GP vendor), which will have a 30-day validity.
Individuals selected for Treatment 4 will be matched with an a2i partner teacher, from a pool of 70 teachers recruited for the study. These recruited teachers will provide a weekly, 30-minute phone check-in with 7 assigned students, and fill out a short weekly log. They will receive a modest stipend to cover their associated phone charges.
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Field
Did you obtain IRB approval for this study?
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Before
No
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After
Yes
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Field
Secondary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
• Parental and child expectations on re-enrollment and grade completion
• Parental willingness to pay for remote learning options
• Student aspirations and mental health
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After
• Parental beliefs and expectations on re-enrollment and grade completion
• Child expectations on re-enrollment and grade completion
• Student educational aspirations and expectations
• Student outside options
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