IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hhs/gunefd/2023_006.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Technology Attenuates the Impact of Heat on Learning. Evidence from Colombia

Author

Listed:
  • Villalobos, Laura

    (Department of Economics and Finance, and Department of Environmental Studies, Salisbury University)

  • Gomez, Julian D.

    (Universidad de Los Andes)

  • Garcia, Jorge H.

    (Universidad de Los Andes)

Abstract

High temperatures hinder learning. An e ective solution is to control the environment. However, technologies such as air conditioning are seldom adopted in developing countries. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are more widely available and could o er an alternative solution by increasing the amount of instruction, allowing the re-allocation of activities, boosting productivity, or improving the quality of instruction. Using data from Colombia, we con rm that heat a ects test scores, and we show that ICTs compensate up to 15 percent of this e ect when used by teachers to teach and for pedagogic purposes.

Suggested Citation

  • Villalobos, Laura & Gomez, Julian D. & Garcia, Jorge H., 2023. "Technology Attenuates the Impact of Heat on Learning. Evidence from Colombia," EfD Discussion Paper 23-6, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunefd:2023_006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.efdinitiative.org/sites/default/files/publications/EfD_DP-23-06.pdf
    File Function: Full text
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R. Jisung Park & A. Patrick Behrer & Joshua Goodman, 2021. "Learning is inhibited by heat exposure, both internationally and within the United States," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 19-27, January.
    2. Julian Cristia & Pablo Ibarrarán & Santiago Cueto & Ana Santiago & Eugenio Severín, 2017. "Technology and Child Development: Evidence from the One Laptop per Child Program," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 295-320, July.
    3. Julian Cristia & Alejo Czerwonko & Pablo Garofalo, 2014. "Does technology in schools affect repetition, dropout and enrollment? Evidence from Peru," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 17, pages 89-112, May.
    4. Yanguas, Maria Lucia, 2020. "Technology and educational choices: Evidence from a one-laptop-per-child program," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    5. Joshua Graff Zivin & Matthew Neidell, 2014. "Temperature and the Allocation of Time: Implications for Climate Change," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 32(1), pages 1-26.
    6. Filippo Pavanello & Enrica Cian & Marinella Davide & Malcolm Mistry & Talita Cruz & Paula Bezerra & Dattakiran Jagu & Sebastian Renner & Roberto Schaeffer & André F. P. Lucena, 2021. "Air-conditioning and the adaptation cooling deficit in emerging economies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Graff Zivin, Joshua & Song, Yingquan & Tang, Qu & Zhang, Peng, 2020. "Temperature and high-stakes cognitive performance: Evidence from the national college entrance examination in China," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    8. Cho, Hyunkuk, 2017. "The effects of summer heat on academic achievement: A cohort analysis," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 185-196.
    9. Marie Connolly, 2008. "Here Comes the Rain Again: Weather and the Intertemporal Substitution of Leisure," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(1), pages 73-100.
    10. Comi, Simona Lorena & Argentin, Gianluca & Gui, Marco & Origo, Federica & Pagani, Laura, 2017. "Is it the way they use it? Teachers, ICT and student achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 24-39.
    11. Julian Cristia & Alejo Czerwonko & Pablo Garofalo, 2014. "Does technology in schools affect repetition, dropout and enrollment? Evidence from Peru," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 17, pages 89-112, May.
    12. Alberto, Ivan Carlo & Jiao, Yang & Zhang, Xiaohan, 2021. "Too hot or too cold to study? The effect of temperature on student time allocation," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    13. Catherine Rodríguez Orgales & Fabio Sánchez Torres & Juliana Márquez Zúñiga, 2011. "Impacto del Programa Computadores para Educar" en la deserción estudiantil, el logro escolar y el ingreso a la educación superior"," Documentos CEDE 8744, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    14. R. Jisung Park & A. Patrick Behrer & Joshua Goodman, 2021. "Publisher Correction: Learning is inhibited by heat exposure, both internationally and within the United States," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 170-170, January.
    15. Teevrat Garg & Maulik Jagnani & Vis Taraz, 2020. "Temperature and Human Capital in India," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(6), pages 1113-1150.
    16. Park, Jisung & Bangalore, Mook & Hallegatte, Stephane & Sandhoefner, Evan, 2018. "Households and heat stress: estimating the distributional consequences of climate change," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 349-368, June.
    17. Conley, T. G., 1999. "GMM estimation with cross sectional dependence," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 1-45, September.
    18. Colella, Fabrizio & Lalive, Rafael & Sakalli, Seyhun Orcan & Thoenig, Mathias, 2019. "Inference with Arbitrary Clustering," IZA Discussion Papers 12584, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. R. Jisung Park, 2022. "Hot Temperature and High-Stakes Performance," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(2), pages 400-434.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xin Zhang & Xi Chen & Xiaobo Zhang, 2024. "Temperature and Low-Stakes Cognitive Performance," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 11(1), pages 75-96.
    2. Dang, Hai-Anh H. & Hallegatte, Stephane & Trinh, Trong-Anh, 2023. "Does global warming worsen poverty and inequality? An updated review," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120701, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Hajdu, Tamás, 2024. "Temperature exposure and sleep duration: Evidence from time use surveys," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    4. Luca Bonacini & Marina Murat, 2023. "Beyond the Covid-19 pandemic: remote learning and education inequalities," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 50(1), pages 207-236, February.
    5. Picchio, Matteo & van Ours, Jan C., 2024. "The impact of high temperatures on performance in work-related activities," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    6. Feriga, Moustafa & Lozano Gracia, Nancy & Serneels, Pieter, 2024. "The Impact of Climate Change on Work Lessons for Developing Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 16914, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Bui, Thanh-Huong & Bui, Ha-Phuong & Pham, Thi Mai-Anh, 2024. "Effects of temperature on job insecurity: Evidence from Australia," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 264-276.
    8. Moustafa Feriga & Mancy Lozano Gracia & Pieter Serneels, 2024. "The impact of climate change on work lessons for developing countries," CSAE Working Paper Series 2024-02, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    9. Costa, Francisco J M & Goldemberg, Diana, 2024. "Too Hot to Learn? Evidence from High School Dropouts in Brazil," OSF Preprints apu6j, Center for Open Science.
    10. Vladimir Otrachshenko & Olga Popova & Nargiza Alimukhamedova, 2024. "Rainfall variability and labor allocation in Uzbekistan: the role of women’s empowerment," Post-Soviet Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 119-138, March.
    11. Pestel, Nico & Oswald, Andrew J., 2021. "Why Do Relatively Few Economists Work on Climate Change? A Survey," IZA Discussion Papers 14885, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Yoo, Jonghyun & Eom, Jiyong & Zhou, Yuyu, 2024. "Thermal comfort and retail sales: A big data analysis of extreme temperature's impact on brick-and-mortar stores," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Kedi Liu & Ranran Wang & Inge Schrijver & Rutger Hoekstra, 2024. "Can we project well-being? Towards integral well-being projections in climate models and beyond," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Melissa Dell & Benjamin F. Jones & Benjamin A. Olken, 2014. "What Do We Learn from the Weather? The New Climate-Economy Literature," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(3), pages 740-798, September.
    15. Vladana Djinovic & Nicholas Giannakopoulos, 2024. "Home computer ownership and educational outcomes of adolescents in Greece," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 523-537, July.
    16. Johnston, David W. & Knott, Rachel & Mendolia, Silvia & Siminski, Peter, 2021. "Upside-Down Down-Under: Cold Temperatures Reduce Learning in Australia," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    17. Andrey Samarskly & Maria Waldinger, 2024. "EU Development Policy and Climate Change," EconPol Policy Brief 61, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    18. Preety Srivastava & Trong-Anh Trinh & Xiaohui Zhang, 2022. "Weather effects on academic performance: An analysis using administrative data," Discussion Papers 2207, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    19. Xie, Victoria Wenxin, 2024. "Labor market adjustment to extreme heat shocks: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 266-283.
    20. Sam Cosaert & Adrián Nieto & Konstantinos Tatsiramos, 2023. "Temperature and Joint Time Use," CESifo Working Paper Series 10464, CESifo.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Weather and learning; Adaptation; Climate Change; Economics of Education; Information and Communication Technologies (ICT); Developing Country; Computer Programs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hhs:gunefd:2023_006. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.efdinitiative.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.