IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ehl/lserod/3652.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

New technology in schools: is there a payoff?

Author

Listed:
  • Machin, Stephen
  • McNally, Sandra
  • Silva, Olmo

Abstract

In recent years the role of investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as an effective tool to raise educational standards has attracted growing attention from both policy makers and academic researchers. While the former tend to express enthusiastic claims about the use of new technologies in schools, the latter have raised concerns about the methodological validity of much of the research undertaken. The view that ICT could help to raise educational standards dates back to the Fifties, and builds on some of the original findings by the Harvard psychologist Skinner (1954, 1958). More recently, support for the effectiveness of ICT as a teaching and learning device comes from the educational literature. Yet results are generally inferred from simple correlations between ICT and pupil performance, without taking full account of other factors (such as school characteristics, resources and quality) that may be related to both ICT resources and pupil outcomes. These methodological short-comings cast serious doubt on the validity of most of the existing research which finds a positive relationship between computers (and/or computer software) and student outcomes. In contrast, the small number of economic studies that address these issues by applying more rigorous methods of analysis, report no evidence for a positive impact of ICT on pupil outcomes. In recent years, and in parallel with the widespread belief that new technologies account for much of the productivity resurgence in workplaces in the Nineties (see Jorgenson and Stiroh, 2000), the UK government has motivated its sizable ICT investment in schools by stressing the importance of ICT in raising educational standards and creating opportunities for every child. The positive rhetoric about ICT in the UK has been backed up by considerable government investment. Starting from 1997, the government has encouraged the widespread use of ICT for teaching and learning in schools: formal plans were set-up under the ‘National Grid for Learning’ in order to equip schools with ICT facilities and train teachers to make an effective use of ICT. Between 1998 and 2002, ICT expenditure in England almost doubled in secondary schools, and increased by over 300 percent in primary schools. In this paper, we ask whether this considerable increase in ICT investment has made any difference to educational standards. More specifically, we evaluate whether changes in ICT investment had any causal impact on changes in educational outcomes in English schools over the period from 1999 to 2003. To do this, we mainly rely on administrative data at the level of Local Education Authority. We also make use of detailed information contained in a survey about ICT use in English schools to help interpret our findings. To identify the causal impact of ICT use on pupil achievement, we exploit a policy change that occurred in 2001, using an Instrumental Variable (IV) approach. Specifically, we consider how a change in the rules governing ICT investment in different regions of England led to changes in ICT investment and subsequently changed educational outcomes. In our quasi-experimental setting, we identify the impact of ICT investment using the magnitude of the gain or loss experienced by different LEAs as a result of the change in the funding system. The results should be interpreted as the causal effect of ICT investment on educational outcomes for LEAs that were substantially affected by the change in the funding system over this particular time period (i.e. it is not the average effect of a change in ICT investment for the whole population of schools). Unlike previous economic studies, we find evidence for a positive causal impact of ICT investment on educational performance in primary schools. This is most evident in the teaching of English, where we also show evidence that there is high use of ICT for teaching purposes. We also observe a positive impact for Science, though not for Mathematics. Hence, in this context, there is evidence of a causal link between a substantial increase in ICT investment and a rise in educational standards.

Suggested Citation

  • Machin, Stephen & McNally, Sandra & Silva, Olmo, 2006. "New technology in schools: is there a payoff?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 3652, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:3652
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/3652/
    File Function: Open access version.
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abhijit V. Banerjee & Shawn Cole & Esther Duflo & Leigh Linden, 2007. "Remedying Education: Evidence from Two Randomized Experiments in India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 122(3), pages 1235-1264.
    2. Imbens, G. & Angrist, J.D., 1992. "Average Causal Response with Variable Treatment Intensity," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1611, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    3. Rouse, Cecilia Elena & Krueger, Alan B., 2004. "Putting computerized instruction to the test: a randomized evaluation of a "scientifically based" reading program," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 323-338, August.
    4. Thomas Fuchs & Ludger Wossmann, 2004. "Computers and student learning: bivariate and multivariate evidence on the availability and use of computers at home and at school," Brussels Economic Review, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 47(3-4), pages 359-386.
    5. Edwin Leuven & Mikael Lindahl & Hessel Oosterbeek & Dinand Webbink, 2007. "The Effect of Extra Funding for Disadvantaged Pupils on Achievement," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(4), pages 721-736, November.
    6. Austan Goolsbee & Jonathan Guryan, 2006. "The Impact of Internet Subsidies in Public Schools," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 88(2), pages 336-347, May.
    7. Joshua Angrist & Victor Lavy, 2002. "New Evidence on Classroom Computers and Pupil Learning," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(482), pages 735-765, October.
    8. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "How Much Should We Trust Differences-In-Differences Estimates?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(1), pages 249-275.
    9. Dale W. Jorgenson & Kevin J. Stiroh, 2000. "Raising the Speed Limit: U.S. Economic Growth in the Information Age," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 31(1), pages 125-236.
    10. Ashenfelter, Orley & Krueger, Alan B, 1994. "Estimates of the Economic Returns to Schooling from a New Sample of Twins," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(5), pages 1157-1173, December.
    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. Bulman, George & Fairlie, Robert W., 2015. "Technology and Education: Computers, Software, and the Internet," IZA Discussion Papers 9432, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Nerea Gómez-Fernández & Mauro Mediavilla, 2018. "Do information and communication technologies (ICT) improve educational outcomes? Evidence for Spain in PISA 2015," Working Papers 2018/20, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    3. 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.
    4. Gómez-Fernández, Nerea & Mediavilla, Mauro, 2021. "Exploring the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and academic performance: A multilevel analysis for Spain," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    5. Karthik Muralidharan & Abhijeet Singh & Alejandro J. Ganimian, 2019. "Disrupting Education? Experimental Evidence on Technology-Aided Instruction in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(4), pages 1426-1460, April.
    6. Schwerdt, Guido & Chingos, Matthew M., 2015. "Virtual Schooling and Student Learning: Evidence from the Florida Virtual School," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113202, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Patterson, Richard W. & Patterson, Robert M., 2017. "Computers and productivity: Evidence from laptop use in the college classroom," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 66-79.
    8. Rodrigo Belo & Pedro Ferreira & Rahul Telang, 2014. "Broadband in School: Impact on Student Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(2), pages 265-282, February.
    9. Di Mo & Linxiu Zhang & Renfu Luo & Qinghe Qu & Weiming Huang & Jiafu Wang & Yajie Qiao & Matthew Boswell & Scott Rozelle, 2014. "Integrating computer-assisted learning into a regular curriculum: evidence from a randomised experiment in rural schools in Shaanxi," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3), pages 300-323, September.
    10. Lai, Fang & Luo, Renfu & Zhang, Linxiu & Huang, Xinzhe & Rozelle, Scott, 2015. "Does computer-assisted learning improve learning outcomes? Evidence from a randomized experiment in migrant schools in Beijing," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 34-48.
    11. Cristina Vilaplana Prieto, 2014. "Evaluación del programa Escuela 2.0 para la asignatura de Matemáticas a partir de PISA 2012," Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación volume 9, in: Adela García Aracil & Isabel Neira Gómez (ed.), Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación 9, edition 1, volume 9, chapter 33, pages 631-652, Asociación de Economía de la Educación.
    12. World Bank, 2005. "Mexico : Determinants of Learning Policy Note," World Bank Publications - Reports 8284, The World Bank Group.
    13. Peter Bergman, 2020. "Nudging Technology Use: Descriptive and Experimental Evidence from School Information Systems," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 15(4), pages 623-647, Fall.
    14. Bet, German & Cristia, Julián P. & Ibarrarán, Pablo, 2014. "The Effects of Shared School Technology Access on Students Digital Skills in Peru," IZA Discussion Papers 7954, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Hall, Caroline & Lundin, Martin & Sibbmark, Kristina, 2019. "A laptop for every child? The impact of ICT on educational outcomes," Working Paper Series 2019:26, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    16. Bianchi, Nicola & Lu, Yi & Song, Hong, 2022. "The effect of computer-assisted learning on students’ long-term development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    17. Carrillo, Paul E. & Onofa, Mercedes & Ponce, Juan, 2010. "Information Technology and Student Achievement: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Ecuador," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 3094, Inter-American Development Bank.
    18. 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.
    19. Maarten Cornet & Free Huizinga & Bert Minne & Dinand Webbink, 2006. "Successful knowledge policies," CPB Memorandum 158, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    20. Md Shamimul Islam & Noorliza Karia & Mahmudul Hasan Fouji & Jamshed Khalid & Muhammad Khaleel & Firdaus Ahmad Fauzi, 2019. "Smartphone Addiction: Proposing Ethical Codes for Minimizing Addiction Risk at Academic Institutions," Journal of Business, LAR Center Press, vol. 4(1), pages 9-16, January.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E6 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook

    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:ehl:lserod:3652. 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: LSERO Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    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.