Student Performance in Traditional vs. Online Format: Evidence from Introductory Economics Classes

This study uses a different approach to testing for a difference in student performance between traditional and online courses than prior studies that compare learning outcomes in economics courses. The study uses exam questions as the unit of observation and a specification that includes indicator variables for each student. These indicator variables capture the effect of differences in unobserved student characteristics on learning outcomes and thereby eliminate omitted variable bias. The study reports the finding that for an MBA introductory economics course taught in hybrid format the students had a significantly greater chance of answering a question correctly if it came from a chapter covered online (p<.0075), and that for two undergraduate courses in principles of microeconomics, one online and one traditional, there was a marginally significant result in three different models (p< .1023, .0829, .0737).