The Labor Market Effects of Digital Learning: Evidence from a Field Experiment

From The Theme
DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

WHAT IF
What if we could provide evidence of the current effects of digital learning on labor market outcomes?

WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO
We conducted a “resume audit” field experiment to examine how MOOC credentials influence the employability of job applicants, beginning with a focus on software development jobs in Silicon Valley. By randomly assigning MOOC credentials to some resumes and not others, researchers could assess the causal effect of these credentials on applicants’ receiving an interview request.

LEARN MORE
Persistence Patterns in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROJECT
Thomas Dee is a Professor of Education at Stanford University and a Research Associate in the Programs on Economics of Education, Health Economics and Children at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). His research focuses largely on the use of quantitative methods (e.g., panel data techniques, instrumental variables, and random assignment) to inform contemporary policy debates.