Work

The Inequity of Opt-in Educational Resources and an Intervention to Increase Equitable Access

Year: 2025

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: Billions of dollars are invested in opt-in educational resources to support struggling students. Yet there is no guarantee these students will use these resources. We report results from a school system’s implementation of on-demand tutoring. The take-up was low. At baseline, only 19% of students ever accessed the platform, and low-performing students were even less likely to log in. We conducted a randomized controlled trial ( N = 4,763) testing behaviorally informed messages directed at students and/or their parents to increase participation. Communications to students alone had no impact, whereas those to parents and students together increased usage by 46%. We found suggestive evidence that receiving these communications led to a four-percentage point decrease in course failures. Nonetheless, take-up remained low, highlighting that opt-in resources may increase—instead of reduce—inequality. Without targeted outreach, opt-in educational resources are unlikely to reach many students who could benefit.

Source: Educational Researcher

DOI: 10.3102/0013189x251331518

Authors: Carly D. Robinson, Biraj Bisht, Susanna Loeb

Institutions: Stanford University, University of California, Irvine

Language: English

Topic: Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Adaptive Learning

Subfield: Artificial Intelligence

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,500