This is not the first look at the use of financial incentives for learners, and what's important is that previous studies have shown limited and short-term effects. This study (51 page PDF) of learners in the Chinese MOOC platform XuetangX shows a stronger and more persistent outcome. Why? The article doesn't speculate on this question specifically, but it finds several factors that are suggesting of an answer. First, the amount of money matters; 100 RMB produced a change in behaviour, 1 RMB not so much. Second, the effect size is greater in disadvantaged populations, such as women. And third, "our intervention appears to have helped them learn about the online learning process, or about disciplining themselves—which, in turn, shifts their learning behavior toward a more persistent and sustainable pattern." These factors are less present in, say, elite institutions and affluent populations. But in an environment where people really do need academic and financial support, the strategy can have an impact. Or so it seems to me.
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