Learning in the time of Covid-19: Some preliminary findings

Bryan Engelhardt, Marianne Johnson and Martin E. Meder

International Review of Economics Education, 2021, vol. 37, issue C

Abstract: In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, universities closed to face-to-face learning, shifting entirely to online instruction midway through the spring 2020 semester. In this paper, we compare student performance in the Covid-19 affected semester to that of the previous three unaffected semesters. We consider both student grades and student performance on standardized post-tests in introductory macroeconomics, microeconomics, and statistics courses. We conclude that there were no significant differences in performance across the semesters. Despite concerns that low-income, first-generation, and minority students could suffer disproportionately, we identify no measurable effect for these population subgroups. Women are found to overperform in the Covid-affected semester when compared to previous terms. Women at our institution could be expected to earn 0.15 of a grade-point less in introductory economics courses than otherwise comparable men in pre-Covid semesters. In the Covid-affected semester, this difference disappeared, with women earning higher grades, on average, than men.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Covid-19; Economics education; Online learning; Universities and colleges (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A10 A20 A22 I23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ireced:v:37:y:2021:i:c:s1477388021000074

DOI: 10.1016/j.iree.2021.100215

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