Session 3: Education and Skills
Moderator:
Brajesh P. Panth
Discussant: Soyoung Kim


Estimating the Effect of Tablets and Tutors for Self-learning by Out of School Children: RCT Evidence from Bangladesh during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examines the degree to which EdTech can substitute for traditional schooling, with a special focus on out-of-school children. Specifically, we evaluate how an intervention that includes (a) tablets and (b) (distance) tutors can affect the educational outcomes of out-of-school children. More specifically, the intervention provides out-of-school children in Bangladesh (ages 8-14) an electronic tablet with math and Bangla subject content preinstalled as well as a personal tutor to go over the content twice per week, for 25 minutes per session. To be able to instruct children at the right level, tutors initially receive diagnostic information about the child’s numeracy and literacy levels (from baseline assessments that took place before the intervention started). A randomized controlled trial in which we randomly assign close to 900 out-of-school students and their households to treatment (tablets and tutors) or control (no tablets or tutors) groups. Preliminary results of this intervention will be reported for discussion.

Author/s: Zhigang Li, Uttam Sharma, Maheen Matin, Paul Glewwe, and Prashant Loyalka
JEL codes: I21, O15