Evaluating Learning Technologies: Randomized Experiments Insights

This lecture presents findings from a study on the effects of live streaming lectures on student achievement and attendance, conducted by the instructor at the University of Geneva. The study involved first-year bachelor students in economics and management, where students were randomly assigned access to a live-streaming platform. Results indicated that while high-ability students benefited from streaming, low-ability students experienced a decline in academic performance. The instructor discusses the experimental setup, including the randomization process and data collection methods, which included administrative records and classroom attendance estimates. The findings reveal that students rarely utilized the streaming service, often opting for in-person attendance unless faced with significant barriers. The lecture concludes with implications for educational policy, emphasizing the need to consider both academic performance and student welfare when implementing new learning technologies. The discussion also highlights the importance of understanding the diverse impacts of technology on different student ability levels.