Take-Up, Use, and Effectiveness of Remote Learning Technologies: Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic
- Country: Bangladesh
- Evaluation design: Randomized control trial testing impacts of SMS messages, teacher outreach, and reduction of internet costs
- Team: Emily Beam (University of Vermont), Priya Mukherjee (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Laia Navarro-Sola (Institute for International Economic Studies), Erin Kelley (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP), Junnatul Ferdosh (Aspire to Innovate (a2i), ICT Division), Md. Afzal Hossain Sarwar (Aspire to Innovate (a2i), ICT Division)
Scaling up virtual learning of online learning in high schools
- Country: Ecuador
- Evaluation design: Randomized control trial testing impacts of SMS reminders and encouragement to complete modules on online remote learning platform, weekly lottery tickets for a prize upon module completion, benchmarking for below-median perfomers, videos for teachers presenting experiences of other teachers who used platform in the past, and encouragement to find a study peer.
- Team: David McKenzie (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP), Igor Asanov (University of Kassel), Bruno Crepon (Paris School of Economics), Mona Mensmann (Warwick Business School), and Mathis Schulte (HEC Paris)
- Country: Ghana
- Evaluation design: Randomized control trial testing impacts of SMS messages to suggest activities that promote social-emotional development at home and to encourage engagement with remote instruction, variants of these messages that have a gender-parity focus, and the duration of these messages (3 months vs. 6 months)
- Team: Sharon Wolf (University of Pennsylvania), Elisabetta Aurino (Imperial College London), Isaac Osei-Akoto (University of Ghana), and Eunice Yaa Brimfah Ackwerh (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP)
- Country: Guatemala
- Evaluation design: Randomized control trial testing relative impacts of radio skits conveying early stimulation messages; radio skits and recorded voice messages to encourage listening to skits; radio skits, encouragement messages to take-up skits, and phone message with information on how caregivers can interact with children.
- Team: Irma Arteaga (University of Missouri), Julieta Trias (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP), Monica Ya?ez Pagans (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP), and Miriam Martinez (University of Missouri)
SMS GIRL: Sending Messages about Schooling: Gender Innovation for Re-Enrolment and Learning
- Country: Pakistan
- Evaluation design: Randomized control trial testing impacts of SMS and phone messages to encourage take-up of a school scholarship and re-enrollment in school; lesson plans and SMS and phone messages to engage with remote instruction (TV), with specific messages for girls¡¯ engagement; and SMS and phone messages and social mobilization to encourage re-enrollment.
- Team: Koen Martijn Geven (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP), Tazeen Fasih (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP), Amer Hasan (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP), Rabea Malik (Lahore University of Management Sciences), and Kevin MacDonald (consultant)
Teaching and Testing by Phone in a Pandemic
- Country: Sierra Leone
- Evaluation design: Randomized control trial testing impacts of SMS reminders to take-up remote instruction (radio broadcasts), phone tutorials from private school teachers, and phone tutorials from public school teachers
- Team: Justin Sandefur (Center for Global Development), Lee Crawfurd (Center for Global Development), David Evans (Center for Global Development), Susannah Hares (Center for Global Development), and Mari Shojo (World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP)