The Effect of Computer-Assisted Learning on Education Expenditure: Quasi-Experimental Evidence From Rural China

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Abstract

Despite the large body of literature evaluating computer-assisted learning (CAL) programs, there is a lack of evidence about the effect of the CAL program on private human capital investment. This paper first examines the interaction between the public-fund service and private education expenditure by exploiting the largest CAL program in the world to date, which transferred China's high-quality educational resources to rural students via the Internet. Based on 2010-2018 China Family Panel Studies, we find that the CAL program leads to annual increases of 634.87, 599.60, and 18.05 CNY for total, in-school, and out-of-school education expenditures, respectively. The increases in education expenditure are particularly significant among individuals from minority groups and households with lower socioeconomic status.

Authors

• Zitong Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Dongshu Ou, Chinese University of Hong Kong