Home Computer Use and the Development of Human Capital

Abstract

This paper uses a regression discontinuity design to estimate the effect of home computers on child and adolescent outcomes. We collected survey data from households who participated in a unique government program in Romania which allocated vouchers for the purchase of a home computer to low-income children based on a simple ranking of family income. We show that children in households who received a voucher were substantially more likely to own and use a computer than their counterparts who did not receive a voucher. Our main results indicate that that home computer use has both positive and negative effects on the development of human capital. Children who won a voucher had significantly lower school grades in Math, English and Romanian but significantly higher scores in a test of computer skills and in self-reported measures of computer fluency. There is also evidence that winning a voucher increased cognitive ability, as measured by Raven's Progressive Matrices. We do not find much evidence for an effect on non-cognitive outcomes. Finally, the presence of parental rules regarding computer use and homework appear to mitigate the effects of computer ownership, suggesting that parental monitoring and supervision may be important mediating factors.

Learn to Play and Play to Learn: Evaluation of the One Laptop per Child Program in Costa Rica

“…These results provide evidence that when students participate in a program that provides internet connectivity, they are able to learn how to use diverse applications. In line with the existing literature (see Vigdor and Ladd ; Malamud and Pop‐Eleches ; Fairlie and Robinson ), the findings also show that the increase in students' use of computers seemed to lead to no change or a decrease in the amount of time that they spent doing homework and performing outdoor activities, reinforcing the view that parental guidance is fundamental to ensure that the laptop computer is used in a productive way and for the child to stay healthy.…”

“…Utilizing variation in students' access to a home computer and the timing of the introduction of high‐speed internet into given areas, their study found that access to a home computer led to negative impacts on students' math and reading test scores. Malamud and Pop‐Eleches () found similar results in their evaluation of a program in Romania that provided vouchers to low‐income families to facilitate the purchase of home computers. Contrary to what they originally had expected, the authors found that the students from families that bought computers performed worse in school than those without computers.…”

“…The Math Test was an adaptation taken from the World Bank Math and Reading Student learning achievement documentation, and specifically the instrument developed for the Mongolian education system fifth graders as a part of the READ Project. The cognition test was a progressive matrices test designed for sixth graders, which previous research considered a good indicator of the effects of computer use on general intelligence (Malamud and Pop‐Eleches, ). This test adapted the Wechsler Scale (WISC‐R III) designed for kids under age 15.…”

What education policies and programmes affect learning and time in school in developing countries? A review of evaluations from 1990 to 2014

“…Two studies found negative impacts of ICT interventions: Linden () and Malamud and Pop‐Eleches (). In India, Linden () found that an ICT programme conducted during regular class time, which thus reduced class time for regular instruction, had a large negative impact (–0.55σ) on student learning.…”

“…Linden suggests that these results reflect difficulties in modifying classroom pedagogy to use technology effectively, which could reduce learning if they disrupt effective pre‐existing instructional methods. In Romania, Malamud and Pop‐Eleches () studied a programme that provided vouchers to purchase computers to the parents of middle‐school students. They estimate that receiving such a voucher significantly reduced students' academic performance (their results are not expressed in standard deviations).…”