ICTs and Student`s Achievement - Inter

ICTs and Student`s Achievement - Inter

Information Technology and Student’s Achievement: Evidence from a
Randomized Experiment in Ecuador
Research Proposal for IADB - RES
Research Center
Stratega – Ecuador
Principal Investigators
Paul Carrillo
George Washington University
Juan Ponce
Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales - Ecuador
Date: February 23, 2009
Improving education quality is a priority for most developing countries. Policy makers
usually agree that such improvements could lead to structural shifts in productivity and
boost long term economic growth. Governments face the challenge to identify efficient
ways to use their scarce resources and raise the quality of education. In this paper, we
propose to investigate the effects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
in the school environment on education quality. To quantify these effects, we propose to
use an experimental design to evaluate the impact of a project run by the municipality of
Guayaquil-Ecuador that provides ICT to secondary schools.
1
The use of ICT in the school environment can increase students’ human capital in
at least the following two ways. First, exposure to ICT such as computers and other
related equipment (printers, projectors, etc.) may provide students with valuable skills
that are generally rewarded in the labor market.1 Second, the use of ICT for learning
purposes could shift student’s outcomes (achievement) given the same level of other
inputs (teachers and infrastructure).2 Higher achievements should be reflected on better
test scores but also on other outcome variables that measure the participation of young
individuals on the civil society. For example, the use of the Internet for learning purposes
could boost test scores but, in addition, increase students’ awareness about important
national issues. Increased achievements should thus raise the individual empowerment
with respect to both the government and the private sector.3
Our proposed research is closely related to Barrow at al. (2009) and Banerjee et
al. (2005). Barrow at al. (2009) analyze the effect of an instructional computer program
for pre-algebra and algebra on student’s test scores in the US. Their results suggest that
computer-aided instruction has a positive effect on test scores (about 0.17 of a standard
deviation). Similarly, Banerjee et al. (2005) suggest that computer-assisted mathematics
instruction raised math scores of fourth-grade students in Vadodara, India. Our proposed
study differentiates from this previous work in at least two important ways. First, our
1
See for exmple, Krueger (1993), Autor, Katz and Krueger (1997), and Entorf and Kramarz (1997).
Several studies have analyzed the effects of computer technology in the classroom. For example, some
analyze the impact of subsidies to invest in computer technology (Angrist and Lavy, 2002, Goolsbee and
Guryan, 2006, and Machin, McNally and Silva, 2007). Others provide direct evidence on the effectiveness
of computer technology as an input in the education production function providing evidence of existing
correlations (Wenglinsky 1998) or results from randomized evaluations (Barrow et al., 2009, Banerjee et
al., 2005, Rouse and Krueger, 2004, and Ragosta et al., 1982). Barrow et al., (2009) and Banerjee et al.,
(2005) provide credible evidence that the effects of ICT use on test scores are positive.
3
This example illustrates how the use of ICT could empower individuals with respect to the private sector.
Consider a student who uses ICT both to learn mathematics and to surf the web. Knowledge of
mathematics and access to information allows him/her to understand, for example, that financial products
based on Ponzi scheme’s (piramides financieras) are a scam.
2
2
study focuses on young adults who, presumably, in addition to improved test scores may
obtain other important effects from exposure to ICT in the classrooms. For instance,
exposure to technology could affect outcomes of the labor market (labor force
participation and wages) and participation in the civil society. Second, we aim to identify
the effect of Internet access on outcomes of this segment of the population. For young
adults, exposure to the Internet may boost their access to information and empowerment
levels.
To measure the impact of ICT in student’s achievements we focus on a project
financed by the city of Guayaquil in Ecuador. The program is called Más Tecnología
Colegios and is scheduled to begin on May 2009.4 It targets 125 municipal secondary
schools (grades 10th to 12th ) and will be managed by the NGO E-ducate.5 The program
has three main components. First, basic infrastructure for computer labs will be provided.
Labs are expected to include four computers per school. Depending on budget
availability, computer labs in some schools will be granted access to the Internet. Second,
the program will install in all computer labs software specifically designed to facilitate
student’s learning of language and mathematics. The software is called APCI.6 APCI
personalizes the curriculum of each student based on the results of an initial evaluation
test, and students are expected to use the software at least three hours per week. Finally,
the third component is a comprehensive plan of teacher’s training. The training includes
general computer lessons as well as training to use the APCI platform. With the proper
instruction, teachers should be able to track the academic progress of each student. Más
4
In Guayaquil, the academic school year runs from April to December.
Information about E-ducate can be found at http://www.e-ducate.org.
6
APCI stands for PERSONALIZED COMPLEMENTARY AND INTERCONNECTED LEARNING
system. Details about APCI can be found at Educate’s website www.e-ducate.org.
5
3
Tecnología Colegios is not a new initiative of Guayaquil’s local government but rather an
extension of an earlier program (Más Tecnología) that has successfully provided ICT
services (the same three components described above) to more than 400 primary public
schools since 2004.7
We propose to measure the impact of the Más Tecnología Colegios program on
student’s achievement. Measuring the effects of a public program on beneficiary’s
outcomes is challenging for well-known reasons.8 It is also well-established that the ideal
setup to evaluate the effect of a policy (such as the ICT program) on an outcome of
interest is a randomized experiment. The implementation of random experiments to
evaluate policy questions, however, is not always feasible. Data requirements, cost
constraints and ethical concerns limit the implementation of this methodology. For
impact evaluation of the Más Tecnología Colegios program, we have found three
conditions that facilitate the use of an experimental design. First, the program has not
been implemented yet. Thus, a base-line survey among a representative sample of the 125
selected schools in April 2009 can be performed.9 This survey will include information
about the student, its household, scores on standardized tests for language and
mathematics, labor market outcomes and other measures of achievement such as
knowledge of the political environment.10 Second, due to municipal budget constraints
7
Details about the original program can be found at http://www.mastecnologia.net/ . The initial program
Más Tecnología was also financed by the Municipality and administered by E-ducate. Más Tecnología
Colegios has exactly the same components of the initial program. The only difference is that it targets
students of higher grades.
8
The RES call for proposals discusses some of these points. For the sake of brevity we omit further
discussion.
9
The survey will be implemented in 40 schools (about 50 students per school). Thus, the total sample of
students in both control and treatment groups is close to 20,000.
10
To gather demographic data about the student and the household, the survey will include the same set of
questions (and structure) as standard questionnaires of living standards surveys. An additional module will
be developed to measure test scores and ask questions about current economic and political events.
4
there are not enough resources to implement the program in all schools in the current
year. It is expected that, out of the 125 schools, 43 will receive the program in 2009, 41 in
2010, and the remainder in 2011. This provides an opportunity to compare outcomes
between treated and non-treated students in a follow-up survey in April 2010. Finally,
and perhaps more importantly, E-ducate can choose the set of schools that will receive
the program in the upcoming year at its own discretion and has agreed to follow our
recommendations and provide “treatment” to a list of 43 schools that will be randomly
selected.11 These three conditions provide us with an unusual opportunity to evaluate the
effects of an ICT program on student’s achievement using an experimental design.
To conduct this study, we have gathered a solid research team. The project will be
lead by Paul Carrillo, Assistant Professor of Economics in George Washington
University, and Juan Ponce, Professor of Economics and Academic Director of the
Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales FLACSO – Ecuador. Both researchers
have written on applied microeconomic topics and published in peer-reviewed academic
journals.12 The research center Stratega will coordinate research assistance and other
administrative sides of the project.13 To complete our research project, we estimate that
$34,800 are required (details are provided in Annex 1).
Finally, there is another practical consideration that makes our proposal highly
competitive. To evaluate the impact of the Más Tecnología Colegios program, E-ducate
will provide funding to conduct both surveys. They are enthusiastic to follow our
11
We would also like to randomize Internet access among the subset of schools that receive treatment. In
certain schools, however, Internet access is unavailable (due to network constraints) and a “true” random
assignment may not be possible.
12
Please find their CVs attached to this proposal.
13
Stratega and E-ducate are strategic partners.
5
recommendations and implement the experimental design to have a sound impact
evaluation of this program.
References
Angrist, J. and V. Lavy, (2002), “New Evidence on Classroom Computers and Pupil
Learning,” The Economic Journal, 112, 735-765.
Autor D., L. Katz, and A. Krueger, (1997), “Computing Inequality: Have Computers
Changed the Labor Market?,” National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper
5956.
Banerjee, A., S. Cole, E. Duflo, and L. Linden, (2007), “Remedying Education: Evidence
from Two Randomized Experiments in India,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122,
1235-1264.
Barrow, L., L. Markman, and C. Rouse, (2009), “Technology's Edge: The Educational
Benefits of Computer-Aided Instruction,” The American Economic Journal: Economic
Policy, (1), 52-74.
Entorf H. and F. Kramaz, (1997), “Does Unmeasured Ability Explain the Higher Wages
of New Technology Workers?,” European Economic Review, (41), 1489-1509.
Goolsbee, A. and J. Guryan, (2006), “The Impact of Internet Subsidies in Public
Schools,” TheReview of Economics and Statistics, 88, 336-347.
Krueger, A., (1993), “How Computers Have Changed the Wage Structure: Evidence
form Microdata, 1984-1989,” Quartely Journal of Economics. CVIII, p. 33-60.
Machin, S., S. McNally, and O. Silva, (2007), “New Technology in Schools: Is There a
Payoff?,” Economic Journal, 117, 1145-1167.
Ragosta, M. “Computer-Assisted Instruction and Compensatory Education: The
ETS/LAUSD Study Final Report, Project Report 19,” Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing
Service, 1982.
Rouse, C. E., and A. Krueger, (2004), “Putting Computerized Instruction to the Test: A
Randomized Evaluation of a ‘Scientifically-based’ Reading Program,” Economics of
Education Review 23, 4, 323-338.
Wenglinsky, H., (1998), “Does it Compute? The Relationship Between Educational
Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics,” Princeton, NJ: Policy
Information Center, Research Division, Educational Testing Service.
6
Annex 1: Details About Project’s Costs
$/
Month
Months
Total
Principal investigator # 1
Principal investigator # 2
4,000
4,000
2.5
2.5
10,000
10,000
Research assistant # 1
Research assistant # 1
1,000
1,000
3
3
3,000
3,000
Survey coordinator
1,500
2
3,000
200
14
2,800
Other administrative costs
Travel funds for field visits
3,000
Surveys (funded by E-ducate)
Total
0
34,800
Notes:
We expect that each principal investigator will devote approximately 2.5 months of full
time work (50 days) to complete this project.
Research assistance will be needed for both data handling and to make an exhaustive
literature review. In addition, research assistants are expected to provide details about the
implementation of the program. We expect to hire each research assistant for about 3
months.
This project requires the hiring of a survey coordinator. This person will oversee the
correct execution of the surveys and work full time for 2 months.
Both lead investigators plan to visit schools before the base-line and follow-up surveys
are implemented. Thus, travel funds for transportation to Guayaquil are required.
Other administrative costs include printing and other communication costs.
The full costs of the surveys will be financed by E-ducate.
7
Paul E. Carrillo
Department of Economics, George
Washington University
2115 G Street N.W. Suite 364
Washington, DC 20052
Phone : 202-994-7608
Fax: 202-994-6147
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://home.gwu.edu/~pcarrill/
Education
University of Virginia, Ph.D. in Economics, 2006
University of Virginia, M.A. in Economics, 2002
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, B.S. in Economics, 1998
Current Position
Assistant Professor of Economics, George Washington University, August 2006 – Present
Research Interests
Applied Microeconomics and Econometrics, Urban and Real Estate Economics, Empirical
Applications of Equilibrium Search Models
Publications
“Efficient Delivery of Subsidies to the Poor: Improving the Design of a Cash Transfer
Program in Ecuador,” with Juan Ponce, Journal of Development Economics, forthcoming.
“Stay Public or Go Private?: A comparative analysis of water services between Quito and
Guayaquil?,” with Orazio Bellettini and Elizabeth Coombs, Chapter 5 in “Privatization
for the Public Good? Welfare Effects of Private Intervention in Latin America,” 2008,
edited by Alberto Chong, David Rockerfeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard
University, and Inter American Development Bank.
“The Effects of Different Types of Housing Assistance on Earnings and Employment,”
with Edgar Olsen, Catherine Tyler, and Jonathan King, 2005, Cityscape: A Journal of
Policy Development and Research 8(2): 163-187.
“Explaining Attrition in the Housing Voucher Program,” with Edgar Olsen and Scott
Davis, 2005, Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research 8(2): 95-113.
“Las Diferencias Salariales Entre el Sector Público y Privado en el Ecuador,” Banco
Central del Ecuador, Cuestiones Económicas, 20(2), 2004, 165-173.
“La Cuenta Satélite del Sector Petrolero Ecuatoriano,” Banco Central del Ecuador,
Cuadernos de Trabajo No 122, Quito, 2000.
Working Papers
“An Empirical Two-sided Equilibrium Search Model of the Real Estate Market,” invited
to revise and resubmit International Economic Review.
“Alternative Measures of Homeownership Gaps Across Segregated Neighborhoods,” with
Anthony Yezer, invited to revise and resubmit Regional Science and Urban Economics.
1/3
“To Sell or not to Sell: List Price and Time on the Market in the Housing Market.”
“A New Geographical Housing Price Index for All Areas in the United States,” with Dirk
Early and Edgar Olsen.
“Information and Real Estate Transactions: The Effects of Pictures and Virtual Tours on
Home Sales.”
“Determinants of Cross-State Variation in Social Security Disability Rates,” with Naoko
Akashi, Bruce Dembling, and Steven Stern.
Work in Progress
“Test Scores, Home Values, and Information Disclosure,” with Stephanie Cellini and
Richard Green.
“Zoning and Subway Stations,” with Richard Green.
“How Desperate are Desperate Sellers?: Asking Price Changes and Marketing Outcomes.”
“Chicken or Egg: The Effects of Foreclosures on Home Prices.”
“Public Signals, Private Information, and Household Behavior: Evidence from a Natural
Experiment,” with Shahe Emran
Teaching
Assistant Professor of Economics, George Washington University,
Intermediate Microeconomics
Spring 2007, 2008
Urban and Regional Economics
Fall 2006, 2007, 2008
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales FLACSO,
Quito - Ecuador
Graduate Econometrics
Spring 2006
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito - Ecuador
Introductory Microeconomics
Fall 2005
Instructor, University of Virginia, Department of Economics
Introductory Statistics
Spring 2004
Teaching Assistant, University of Virginia, Department of Economics
Graduate Econometrics I
Fall 2001, Fall 2002
Graduate Econometrics II
Spring 2002, Spring 2003
Principles of Microeconomics
Fall 2000
Other Professional Experience
Research Economist, Central Bank of Ecuador, August 2004 – July 2006.
2/3
Research Assistant for Dr. Steven Stern, Quantitative Health Care Solutions, March
2002-August 2003
Consultant, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Quito-Ecuador, April 2000June 2000
Analyst, Central Bank of Ecuador, July 1998-March 2000
Awards
University Facilitating Fund Award, George Washington University, 2008-2009
GWIPP Policy Research Scholar, George Washington University, 2008-2009
Bankard Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Virginia, July 2003
Dupont Fellowship, University of Virginia, August 2001-May 2003
Doctoral Fellowship, Banco Central del Ecuador, August 2000-May 2003
Best academic performance, Department of Economics, Pontificia Universidad Católica
del Ecuador, Fall 1996
Presentations
George Washington University, Department of Economics, October 2008
American University, Department of Economics, October 2008
University of Maryland, Department of Economics, October 2008
AREUEA Mid-year Conference, May 2008
George Washington University, Department of Economics, April 2008
ASSA Meetings of AREUEA, New Orleans, January 2008
Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Quito, Ecuador, November 2007
AREUEA Mid-year Conference, May 2007
George Washington University, Urban Seminar, May 2007
Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department, May 2007
George Washington University, Department of Economics, March 2007
International Atlantic Economic Conference, March 2007
Indiana University, Econometrics Seminar, Department of Economics, March 2007
Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department, October 2006
Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department, February 2006
George Washington University, Department of Economics, February 2006
University of Cincinnati, Department of Economics, February 2006
Queens University, Department of Economics, January 2006
The New York Fed, Research Department, February 2006
University of Virginia, Department of Economics, October 2005
Ifo Institute, Kiel-Munich Workshop on the Economics of Information and Network
Industries, Munich, Germany, August 2005
The Society for Computational Economics, 11th International Conference on
Computing in Economics and Finance, Washington D.C., June 2005
Other information
Languages:
Citizenship:
Last Updated:
Spanish, English, German (basic)
Ecuador / US permanent resident
Jan 2009
3/3
Juan Ponce Jarrín
Hoja de vida
Título académico más alto obtenido
Título
Universidad
Año
Institute of Social
Studies. The
Phd
2008
Hague. The
Netherlands
Reconocimientos académicos internacionales
Premios y honores
Premi I Ajuts a la
Investigació
Becas y afiliaciones
(scholarships)
N.C.
Experiencia docente
Antigüedad en la
FLACSO, a tiempo
completo y con
dedicación exclusiva
Profesor Asociado
Profesor Investigador
Coordinador Programa
Experiencia en
postgrado a tiempo
completo, fuera de la
FLACSO
N.C.
Seminarios de
postgrado dictados
fuera de la FLACSO
(de una duración
superior a 30 horas)
N.C.
Experiencia de
docencia en pregrado a
tiempo completo, antes
de ingresar a la
FLACSO
N.C.
Mención
Development
Studies
Fecha
Institución y lugar
Tipo de
reconocimiento
Abril 30/2004
Fundació Càtedra
Iberoamericana.
Universitat de les
Illes Balears.
España
Premio
Investigación
Fecha
Institución y lugar
Tipo de
reconocimiento
Fecha de ejecución
Programa
Fecha de ingreso
Cargo actual
Fecha de inicio
Economía
Economía
Economía
Enero 2000
Enero 2004
Enero 2007
Subdirector
Académico
Agosto 2008
Universidad
Facultad
Período
Universidad
Facultad
Título
Universidad
Facultad
Período
1
Período
Publicaciones académicas
Libros de autoría de Fecha
edición nacional (1)
2001
2004
Título
Empleo y Economía
del Trabajo en el
Ecuador
Informe de
Desarrollo Social
2008
Segundo Informe
Nacional de los
Objetivos de
Desarrollo del
Milenio en el
Ecuador
Libros de autoría de edición o coedición internacional (1)
2008
Education Policy
and Performance.
Evaluating the
Impact of Targeted
Education
Programs in
Ecuador
2006
Más allá de los
promedios:
Afrodescendientes
en América Latina.
2007
Desarrollo social y
económico de la
amazonía
ecuatoriana basado
en el ecoturismo:
emprendimeintos
populares como
alternativa a un
desarrollo
excluyente
Editorial(es) y lugar
de publicación
ILDIS y Abya-Yala
Páginas
Secretaría Técnica
del Frente Social y
SIISE
PNUDSENPLADESFLACSO
Shaker Publishing.
The Netherlands
The World Bank
Fundación Cátedra
Iberoamericana de
la Universidad de
las Islas Baleares.
España.
(1) Obra realizada por un autor o en coautoría con una sola persona.
Libro editado o dirigido de edición nacional (2)
N.C.
Libro editado o dirigido de edición o coedición internacional (2)
N.C.
Libros compilados nacionales o internacionales (3)
N.C.
(2) Incluye un estudio introductorio y una selección de textos originales reunidos alrededor de un proyecto
editorial.
(3) Incluye una selección de textos originales alrededor de un evento (foro o taller) y las antologías de textos.
Capítulos
publicados en libros
de edición nacional
(4)
Fecha
Título y título del
libro
Editorial(es) y lugar
de publicación
1997
La educación: a la
espera de la
equidad y la
calidad. En Pobreza
y capital humano en
el Ecuador
2
Secretaría Técnica
del Frente Social
Páginas
1998
1998
1999
2001
2003
2003
2003
2004
2005
2005
A educación en el
Ecuador: problemas
y propuestas de
solución. Una
tipología de
cantones para la
intervención.
Cuaderno de
Trabajo No. 3
Ecuador: Tipología
de la Intervención
Social. Cuadernos
de Trabajo
La eficiencia interna
del sistema
educativo en el
Ecuador: un análisis
de cohorte.
Cuadernos de
Trabajo
Propuesta de
indicadores sociales
para el centro
histórico de Quito.
Serie Foro,
Desarrollo Cultural
y Gestión en Centro
Históricos
Cómo hacer más
eficiente el gasto en
educación en el
Ecuador: un análisis
de los
determinantes de la
matrícula primaria y
secundaria.
Cuadernos de
trabajo
Quién se beneficia
del gasto social en
el Ecuador.
Cuadernos de
trabajo
Los efectos
indirectos del gasto
social en Ecuador.
Cuadernos de
trabajo
Household proxy
means in Ecuador:
a trade off between
targeting and
poverty reduction
gains
Mujeres y
Educación. En
Mujeres
Ecuatorianas entre
las crisis y las
oportunidades.
El tratado de libre
comercio y el
desarrollo humano.
3
SEDES
SEDEH-SIISE
SIISE
SIISE
SIISE
SIISE
Mimeo
FLACSO
ILDIS-FLACSO
2006
2006
2006
2006
En TLC más que un
tratado de libre
comercio
Políticas sociales y
programas de
transferencia
monetaria
condicionada en
América Latina. En
Cohesión Social
The Impact of
Decentralization of
Student’s Cognitive
Achievements. The
case of Redes
Amigas of Ecuador.
Documento de
Trabajo. Parte de
mi disertación
doctoral
Notas para la
discusión.
Estrategia Nacional
de Desarrollo:
HaCIA UN Acuerdo
para alcanzar los
ODM en Ecuador
Notas para la
discusión.
Estrategia Nacional
de Desarrollo:
Indicadores y
disparidades
cantonales.
Ministerio del
Trabajo, NNUU,
UNESCO-ILDIS
FLACSO-Ecuador
CISMIL
CISMIL
Capítulos publicados en libros de edición o coedición internacional (4)
2002
Determinants of
The Hague. ISS
secondary
enrollment in
Ecuador: some
policy simulations
2004
Ecuador Creating
BID y Banco
Fiscal Space for
Mundial
Poverty Reduction.
Chapter 3:
Education
(4) A exclusión de todo capítulo en un libro editado o compilado por la misma persona.
Artículos publicados
en revistas
arbitradas e
indexadas de nivel
A (5)
Fecha
Título y nombre de
la revista
Editorial(es) y lugar
de publicación
2008
The Impact of Cash
Tranfers on School
Enrollment. Policy
Research Working
Paper 4645.
Efficiency Delivery
of Cash Transfers
to the Poor:
Improving the
design of a
4
The World Bank
2008
Journal of
Development
Economics. Revista
JCR
Páginas
2008
2007
Conditional Cash
Transfer Program in
Ecuador.
Remittances for
Development? A
case study of the
Impact of
Remittances on
Human
Development in
Ecuador.
Ex_ante simulations
of Direct and
Indirect Effects of
Welfare Reforms.
2004
Journal of
Development
Studies.
Revista JCR
Review of Income
and Wealth. Series
53. Number 4.
December 2007.
Revista JCR.
Journal of
Development
Studies
Revista JCR
Meeting the
Millennium
Development Goals
in Education: a
cost-effectiveness
analysis for
Ecuador. ISS
Working Paper
Series No. 402.
2004
Simulating
ISS working paper
progressive social
No. 393
transfers: gas
subsidies and
solidarity bonds in
Ecuador.
Discussion Paper
Economics of
Series. IZA. DP No. Education Review
3658. The Impact of
a Cash Transfer
Program on
Cognitive
Achievement. The
Bono de Desarrollo
Humano of
Ecuador.
Documento de
trabajo.
Artículos publicados en revistas arbitradas e indexadas de nivel B (5)
N.C.
(5) Revistas indexadas en el Journal Citation Reports (JCR) o en las bases Ebsco, Blackwell, ProQuest y JStor.
(6) Revistas indexadas en el catálogo Latindex, CLACSO, HAPI, CIAO o índices equivalentes.
5