ABSTRACT In this paper, we examine the causal effects of ICT‐aided learning on non‐farm employment based on the implementation of the “Modern Distance Education Program” (MDEP) in rural China. By leveraging the heterogenous timing of MDEP introduction at the county level, we find that ICT‐aided learning increases non‐farm employment by 14.1%. The positive effects remain stable across cohorts after 2 years of exposure. Notably, individuals with limited educational resources, insufficient family support, and potential exposure to gender discrimination gained advantages in non‐farm employment, highlighting MDEP's role in advancing educational equity. The new non‐farm jobs were characterized by reduced unemployment risk, improved job autonomy, and low work pressure, while the economic returns barely increased. Mechanism tests reveal that the improvement of ICT‐related skills outweighs that of academic skills, indicating the unintended consequence of educational technology adoption on cognition formation in the context of China.
Jiang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.