Impact of a course on studying and learning techniques to freshman students

Last registered on February 24, 2021
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impact of a course on studying and learning techniques to first-year undergrad students in Argentina
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0007250
Initial registration date
February 24, 2021

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
February 24, 2021, 10:30 AM EST

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

Locations

Country
Argentina
Region
Buenos Aires

Primary Investigator

Name
Maria Amelia Gibbons
Affiliation
Universidad de San Andrés
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Axel Rivas
PI Affiliation
Universidad de San Andr´res
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Melina Furman
PI Affiliation
Universidad de San Andrés
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Martin A Rossi
PI Affiliation
Universidad de San Andrés
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2021-02-26
End date
2021-12-31
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
Impact Evaluation, Academic Achievement, Study Skills
JEL code(s)
I20
Secondary IDs
Abstract
This project aims to provide experimental evidence on the impact of a study-skills course on student academic performance. We make a call to all first-year students of a private university in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to participate in a 6-hour course (2 hours in 3 days, weekly). Half of the students are randomly assigned to treatment (to receive the course during March 2021), and half of the students to control. We will compare the academic performance of treated and control students.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Furman, Melina et al. 2021. "Impact of a course on studying and learning techniques to first-year undergrad students in Argentina." AEA RCT Registry. February 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.7250-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention consists of a 6-hour course for freshman students to develop skills for effective learning, incorporating study techniques and habits based on the evidence of research in cognitive sciences.
Intervention Start Date
2021-03-16
Intervention End Date
2021-07-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Average grade, number of failed courses, number of dropped courses.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Randomized Controlled Trial with stratification: Treatment participants will be randomly selected from a list of eligible subjects. We will compare the treatment group outcomes to the control group outcomes. We will stratify at the class level.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
The randomization will be done in-office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
600 students maximum - it depends on take-up
Sample size: planned number of observations
600 students maximum - it depends on take-up
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Half of the students that enroll to participate, to treatment, and the other half of the students to control.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan

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