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Inclusivity, Gender, and Learning Gains: Are Online Education Platforms the Answer?

Author

Listed:
  • Agha Ali Akram

    (Mathematica Inc.)

  • Hadia Majid

    (Lahore University of Management Sciences)

Abstract

While school enrollment has seen gains globally over the last few decades, some 260 million still remain out-of-school. Digital solutions to overcome enrollment and learning gaps have become increasingly popular, but evidence around ed-tech solutions is limited. We experimentally evaluate learning outcomes from an online after-school learning platform. We find a 22% gain in assessment scores of students who availed the platform relative to those who did not have access to the platform. We also study the effects of income and gender. We find that the platform does not distinguish by income: poorer students do no worse than rich students, and that girls are at no disadvantage relative to boys. Our results then carry deep implications for leveraging at-home technology to reduce gender gaps in education in highly unequal and under-resourced contexts where girls’ mobility remains a primary constraint to enrollment.

Suggested Citation

  • Agha Ali Akram & Hadia Majid, 2024. "Inclusivity, Gender, and Learning Gains: Are Online Education Platforms the Answer?," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 319-330, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joerap:v:7:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s41996-024-00159-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s41996-024-00159-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Monazza Aslam & Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, 2008. "Gender and household education expenditure in Pakistan," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(20), pages 2573-2591.
    2. Bisma Haseeb Khan & Sahar Amjad Shaikh, 2013. "Analyzing the Market for Shadow Education in Pakistan: Does Private Tuition Affect the Learning Gap between Private and Public Schools?," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 18(Special E), pages 129-160, September.
    3. Zeba A. Sathar & Asif Wazir & Maqsood Sadiq, 2013. "Struggling against the Odds of Poverty, Access, and Gender: Secondary Schooling for Girls in Pakistan," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 18(Special E), pages 67-92, September.
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