Digital Tools in the Classroom: Evidence from a Large-Scale Natural Experiment

Ghazala Azmat (), Denis Fougère () and Clémence Lobut ()
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Ghazala Azmat: ECON - Département d'économie (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CEP - LSE - Centre for Economic Performance - LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science, CEPR - Center for Economic Policy Research, CESifo - CESifo, IZA - Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit - Institute of Labor Economics
Denis Fougère: OSC - Observatoire sociologique du changement (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LIEPP - Laboratoire interdisciplinaire d'évaluation des politiques publiques (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po, CEPR - Center for Economic Policy Research, IZA - Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit - Institute of Labor Economics
Clémence Lobut: ECON - Département d'économie (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, J-PAL Europe - Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab - Europe

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Abstract: We study the impact of the French ‘Digital Plan,' a large-scale educational information and communication technologies (ICT) program that provides middle school students with access to mobile digital devices (i.e., either individual or shared access tablets), on students' skills. Employing conditional random assignment and comprehensive administrative and survey data spanning several years, we establish a causal link between ICT access in the classroom and students' academic, digital, and sociocognitive skills. On average, we find large positive treatment effects on academic and digital skills and collaborative capabilities but a negative effect on creativity. However, substantial variation in treatment effectiveness suggests important complementarities and substitutability of these tools given student, school or instructor characteristics. Tracking students into high school, we identify the lasting impact of treatment on performance in national exams and college-relevant choices, especially within STEM disciplines.

Keywords: mobile digital devices; student skills; natural experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-10-31
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://sciencespo.hal.science/hal-04762520v1
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