信息技术能促进学生认知能力发展吗?——基于教育增值测量的净效应估计

Can Information Technology Promote the Development of Students’ Cognitive Ability? Net Effect Estimation Based on CEPS

信息技术对学生认知能力的影响已经成为教育信息化2.0时代的研究热点之一。本研究利用中国人民大学的教育追踪调查数据(CEPS2014~2015),借鉴教育增值模型并采用准实验的倾向得分匹配法,检验信息技术对学生认知能力发展的净影响。研究发现:1)基准回归表明信息技术利用与学生认知能力发展之间正相关,但互联网的娱乐偏好与学生认知能力发展呈反向变化关系;2)家庭信息技术利用与否受到有效需求与可能的供给两方面制约,父母对互联网有效需求的上升将推高家庭信息技术的利用率,但对子女互联网娱乐偏好的引导与规制以及未来教育期望的上升则将抑制家庭信息技术的供给;3)倾向得分匹配法揭示了信息技术对学生认知能力发展的净影响落入[0.116,0.126]的取值区间,并且揭示了信息技术对认知增量的干预作用使其成为缩小教育不平等的重要推力。

The influence of information technology on students' cognitive ability has become one of the research hotspots in the digital era. Based on CEPS 2014~2015 data provided by Renmin University of China and educational value-added model, this paper adopts the PSM of quasi-experiment to examine the “net impact” of information technology on cognitive development. Our research indicates that: 1) The benchmark regression shows that information technology has a positive and significant effect on the development of students' cognitive ability, while the bias of entertainment in the Internet is inversely related to cognitive development;2) The utilization of information technology at home is restricted by effective demand and possible supply, parents' increasing demand for the Internet will boost the utilization of information technology at home, while the guidance and regulation of children's Internet entertainment, as well as the rising expectations of future education, will inhibit the supply of information technology in the family;3) PSM reveals that the net effect of information technology on students' cognitive ability falls into the range of [0.116,0.126], the intervention of cognitive increment is an important thrust to reduce educational inequality.