Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers’ Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia

Alberto Chong, Marco Gonzalez-Navarro, Dean Karlan and Martín Valdivia

No 18776, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Across public junior high schools in 21 Colombian cities, we conducted a randomized evaluation of a mandatory six-month internet-based sexual education course. Six months after finishing the course, we find a 0.4 standard deviation improvement in knowledge, a 0.2 standard deviation improvement in attitudes, and a 55% increase in the likelihood of redeeming vouchers for condoms as a result of taking the course. We find no evidence of spillovers to control classrooms within treatment schools, and we find treatment effects are enhanced when a larger share of a student’s friends also takes the course. The low cost of the online course along with the effectiveness we document suggests this technology is a viable alternative for improving sexual education in middle income countries.

JEL-codes: I1 I2 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev, nep-edu, nep-exp, nep-lam and nep-ltv
Note: EH LS
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Published as Alberto Chong & Marco Gonzalez-Navarro & Dean Karlan & Martín Valdivia, 2020. "Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers’ Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia," The World Bank Economic Review, vol 34(2), pages 371-392.

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Journal Article: Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers’ Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia (2020)
Working Paper: Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers’ Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia (2019)
Working Paper: Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers'Sexual Education ? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia (2019)
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