Working Paper: NBER ID: w26967
Authors: Eric Bettinger; Robert W. Fairlie; Anastasia Kapuza; Elena Kardanova; Prashant Loyalka; Andrey Zakharov
Abstract: The previous expansion of EdTech as a substitute for traditional learning around the world, the recent full-scale substitution due to COVID-19, and potential future shifts to blended approaches suggest that it is imperative to understand input substitutability between in-person and online learning. We explore input substitutability in education by employing a novel randomized controlled trial that varies dosage of computer-assisted learning (CAL) as a substitute for traditional learning through homework. Moving from zero to a low level of CAL, we find positive substitutability of CAL for traditional learning. Moving from a lower to a higher level of CAL, substitutability changes and is either neutral or even negative. The estimates suggest that a blended approach of CAL and traditional learning is optimal. The findings have direct implications for the rapidly expanding use of educational technology worldwide prior to, during and after the pandemic.
Keywords: Computer-Assisted Learning; Education Technology; Randomized Controlled Trial; Substitutability; Educational Outcomes
JEL Codes: F63; I25
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| CAL (1x) (C29) | CAL (2x) (Y20) |
| CAL (1x) (C29) | Math Test Scores (C12) |
| CAL (2x) (Y20) | Math Test Scores (C12) |
| CAL (1x) (C29) | Language Test Scores (C12) |
| CAL (2x) (Y20) | Language Test Scores (C12) |