Pandemic response policies’ democratizing effects on online learning

Abstract

Significance In the face of rising university tuition costs and a longstanding skills gap in the US workforce, a growing number of people access higher and continuing education programs via online platforms. There are serious concerns that online learning disadvantages members of underserved communities, thereby exacerbating social inequalities. However, it is hard to evaluate these concerns at scale partly due to selection effects. Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as nonessential business closures, suddenly changed how people spent their time, which allowed us to estimate effects on demand for online learning and how it varies along socioeconomic dimensions. Unlike most prior studies that find education technology to maintain or amplify inequities, we present causal evidence for its potential democratizing effects.