Publication: Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers' Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia
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2019-04
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2019-04
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This study reports results from a randomized evaluation of a mandatory six-month Internet-based sexual education course implemented across public junior high schools in 21 Colombian cities. Six months after finishing the course, the study finds a 0.4 standard deviation improvement in knowledge, a 0.2 standard deviation improvement in attitudes, and a 55 percent increase in the likelihood of redeeming vouchers for condoms as a result of taking the course. The data provide no evidence of spillovers to control classrooms within treatment schools, and it finds that treatment effects are enhanced when a larger share of a student's friends also takes the course. The low cost of the online course along with the effectiveness the study documents suggests this technology is a viable alternative for improving sexual education in middle-income countries.
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“Gonzalez-Navarro, Marco; Chong, Alberto; Karlan, Dean; Valdivia, Martin. 2019. Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers' Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 8821. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31563 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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