Can One-to-One Computing Narrow the Digital Divide and the Educational Gap in China? The Case of Beijing Migrant Schools

Di Mo, Johan Swinnen, Linxiu Zhang, Hongmei Yi (), Qinghe Qu, Matthew Boswell and Scott Rozelle

World Development, 2013, vol. 46, issue C, 14-29

Abstract: One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is a high profile initiative to narrow the inequality of access to ICT and improve educational performance. However, there is little empirical evidence on its impacts. In order to assess the effectiveness of OLPC, we conducted a randomized experiment of OLPC with Chinese characteristics involving 300 third-grade students in Beijing migrant schools. Our results show that the program improved student computer skills by 0.33 standard deviations and math scores by 0.17 standard deviations. The program also increased student time spent using educational software and decreased student time spent watching TV. Student self-esteem also improved.

Keywords: One Laptop Per Child; RCT; Asia; China; Beijing migrant school; computer skills; math test scores (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (33)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:46:y:2013:i:c:p:14-29

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.12.019

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