Do Embedded Supports Promote Engaged Learning? Experimental Evidence on Resource Use among Community College Students

Kelli A. Bird and Benjamin L. Castleman

AEA Papers and Proceedings, 2026, vol. 116, 356-361

Abstract: We report results from an experimental evaluation of an intervention in which tutoring and advising services were embedded directly into “gateway” community college courses and targeted to students identified by faculty and staff as at risk of not completing the course. Students in treated sections significantly increased their meetings with instructors, tutors, and advisors while decreasing their use of online learning management system resources. The positive impact on staff resource utilization was particularly strong among first-generation college students. The findings suggest that providing readily available in-person support substantially increases its uptake, potentially as a preferred alternative to asynchronous online materials.

JEL-codes: H75 I23 I28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20261101

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