Does Open Access to Quality Educational Resources Reduce Inequalities? The Case of Tutoring to Address Pandemic-Induced Learning Needs

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Twelve
  In Roundtable Session: Reimagining Out-of-School Time Evaluation and Measurement Amid Educational Inequality (Table 14)

Abstract

In this presentation, we provide evidence that open access to quality educational resources may not reduce inequalities. We found that the vast majority of students do not take-up opt-in tutoring, even when it can promote learning. Providing opt-in resources may even result in greater disparities because struggling students are the least motivated to proactively access and benefit from the additional support. Through a randomized controlled trial (N = 4,763) We show that strategic communications to students and their families can increase the likelihood that students take-up the resource by almost 50%—and more for struggling students—but the most effective treatment arm still only resulted in a quarter of students ever logging on to receive help from a tutor.

Authors

• Carly D. Robinson, Brown University
  Presenting Author

• Biraj Bisht, Brown University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Susanna Loeb, Stanford University
  Non-Presenting Author