System-, teacher-, and student-level interventions for improving participation in online learning at scale in high schools

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Autorschaft

  • Francisco Pablo Flores Taipe
  • Igor Asanov
  • Anastasiya Mariya Asanov
  • Thomas Åstebro
  • Guido Bünstorf
  • Bruno Crépon
  • David McKenzie
  • Mona Mensmann
  • Mathis Schulte

Externe Organisationen

  • Universität Kassel
  • HEC Paris
  • École polytechnique
  • Weltbank
  • Universität zu Köln
Forschungs-netzwerk anzeigen

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummere2216686120
FachzeitschriftProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Jahrgang120
Ausgabenummer30
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 17 Juli 2023
Extern publiziertJa

Abstract

Many school systems across the globe turned to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This context differs significantly from the prepandemic situation in which massive open online courses attracted large numbers of voluntary learners who struggled with completion. Students who are provided online courses by their high schools also have their behavior determined by actions of their teachers and school system. We conducted experiments to improve participation in online learning before, during, and right after the COVID-19 outbreak, with 1,151 schools covering more than 45,000 students in their final years of high school in Ecuador. These experiments tested light-touch interventions at scale, motivated by behavioral science, and were carried out at three levels: that of the system, teacher, and student. We find the largest impacts come from intervening at the system level. A cheap, online learning management system for centralized monitoring increased participation by 0.21 SD and subject knowledge by 0.13 SD relative to decentralized management. Centralized management is particularly effective for underperforming schools. Teacher-level nudges in the form of benchmarking emails, encouragement messages, and administrative reminders did not improve student participation. There was no significant impact of encouragement messages to students, or in having them plan and team-up with peers. Small financial incentives in the form of lottery prizes for finishing lessons did increase study time, but was less cost-effective, and had no significant impact on knowledge. The results show the difficulty in incentivizing online learning at scale, and a key role for central monitoring.

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Zitieren

System-, teacher-, and student-level interventions for improving participation in online learning at scale in high schools. / Flores Taipe, Francisco Pablo; Asanov, Igor; Mariya Asanov, Anastasiya et al.
in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jahrgang 120, Nr. 30, e2216686120, 17.07.2023.

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Download
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AU - Flores Taipe, Francisco Pablo

AU - Asanov, Igor

AU - Mariya Asanov, Anastasiya

AU - Åstebro, Thomas

AU - Bünstorf, Guido

AU - Crépon, Bruno

AU - McKenzie, David

AU - Mensmann, Mona

AU - Schulte, Mathis

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PY - 2023/7/17

Y1 - 2023/7/17

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