Peer Effects in Computer Assisted Learning: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment / Marcel Fafchamps, Di Mo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fafchamps, Marcel.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Modi.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w23195.

NBER working paper series no. w23195

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Peer Effects in Computer Assisted Learning

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2017.

Summary:

We conduct a large scale RCT to investigate peer effects in computer assisted learning (CAL). Identification of peer effects relies on three levels of randomization. It is already known that CAL improves math test scores in Chinese rural schools. We find that paired treatment improves the beneficial effects of treatment for poor performers when they are paired with high performers. We test whether CAL treatment reduces the dispersion in math scores relative to controls, and we find statistically significant evidence that it does. We also demonstrate that the beneficial effects of CAL could potentially be strengthened, both in terms of average effect and in terms of reduced dispersion, if weak students are systematically paired with strong students during treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a school intervention has been identified in which peer effects unambiguously help weak students catch up with the rest of the class without imposing any learning cost on other students.

Notes:

Print version record

February 2017.