IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ebl/ecbull/eb-15-00188.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

microeconomics courses: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Jennjou Chen

    (National Chengchi University)

  • Tsui-Fang Lin

    (National Taipei University)

Abstract

This paper explores the effect of attending face-to-face lectures on examination performance in online Intermediate Microeconomics courses using a regression discontinuity experimental approach. The instructor implemented a policy requiring students who scored below the class mean on the first exam to attend four face-to-face lectures before the second exam. The estimation results show that, on the average, attending face-to-face lectures does not improve online learning students' examination performance. However, for the group of students who did not or chose not to access online course materials, attending face-to-face lectures did produce a significant and positive effect on their grades. As revealed from this study, offering face-to-face lecture options to online learning students requires more resources but does not significantly improve students' examination performance. In order to enhance students learning particular for low performing students, a cost effective policy option might not be requiring students to attend face-to-face lectures but discovering ways to encourage or require students accessing pre-recorded lectures

Suggested Citation

  • Jennjou Chen & Tsui-Fang Lin, 2016. "microeconomics courses: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design experiment," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(4), pages 2094-2116.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-15-00188
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.accessecon.com/Pubs/EB/2016/Volume36/EB-16-V36-I4-P204.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David S. Lee & Thomas Lemieux, 2010. "Regression Discontinuity Designs in Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 48(2), pages 281-355, June.
    2. Dobkin, Carlos & Gil, Ricard & Marion, Justin, 2010. "Skipping class in college and exam performance: Evidence from a regression discontinuity classroom experiment," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 566-575, August.
    3. Qihui Chen & Tade O. Okediji, 2014. "Incentive Matters!-The Benefit of Reminding Students About Their Academic Standing in Introductory Economics Courses," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 11-24, March.
    4. Jennjou Chen & Tsui-Fang Lin, 2012. "Do Supplemental Online Recorded Lectures Help Students Learn Microeconomics?," International Review of Economic Education, Economics Network, University of Bristol, vol. 11(1), pages 6-15.
    5. Nicholas Flores & Scott J. Savage, 2007. "Student Demand for Streaming Lecture Video: Emprical Evidence from Undergraduate Economics Classes," International Review of Economic Education, Economics Network, University of Bristol, vol. 6(2), pages 57-78.
    6. Marvin T. Batte & D. Lynn Forster & Donald W. Larson, 2003. "An Assessment of Student Acceptance and Performance in Distance Education with Two-Way Interactive Compressed Video," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 25(2), pages 524-539.
    7. Byron W. Brown & Carl E. Liedholm, 2002. "Can Web Courses Replace the Classroom in Principles of Microeconomics?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(2), pages 444-448, May.
    8. Kim Sosin & Betty J. Lecha & Rajshree Agarwal & Robin L. Bartlett & Joseph I. Daniel, 2004. "Efficiency in the Use of Technology in Economic Education: Some Preliminary Results," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(2), pages 253-258, May.
    9. David Figlio & Mark Rush & Lu Yin, 2013. "Is It Live or Is It Internet? Experimental Estimates of the Effects of Online Instruction on Student Learning," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(4), pages 763-784.
    10. Coates, Dennis & Humphreys, Brad R. & Kane, John & Vachris, Michelle A., 2004. ""No significant distance" between face-to-face and online instruction: evidence from principles of economics," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 533-546, October.
    11. Michelle Albert Vachris, 1999. "Teaching Principles of Economics without “Chalk and Talk”: The Experience of CNU Online," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(3), pages 292-303, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. William Bosshardt & Eric P. Chiang, 2016. "Targeting Teaching Lecture Capture Learning: Do Students Perform Better Compared to Face‐to‐Face Classes?," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(3), pages 1021-1038, January.
    2. Duncan Watson & Louise Parker, 2016. "The hullaballoo over e-learning? Technology and pluralism in economics," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1159813-115, December.
    3. Vasiliki Brinia & Panagiotis Kavaliarakis, 2016. "Educational results from blended learning: Using an educational platform in teaching Economics," International Journal of Learning and Development, Macrothink Institute, vol. 6(1), pages 136-148, March.
    4. Mann, John T. & Henneberry, Shida Rastegari, 2012. "Undergraduate Students’ Preferences and Willingness to Pay for College Course Attributes," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124946, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Engelhardt, Bryan & Johnson, Marianne & Meder, Martin E., 2021. "Learning in the time of Covid-19: Some preliminary findings," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    6. Mary Mathewes Kassis, 2011. "Distance Education: Course Development and Strategies for Success," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 14, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Mann, John T. & Henneberry, Shida R., 2014. "Online versus Face-to-Face: Students’ Preferences for College Course Attributes," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 46(1), pages 1-19, February.
    8. Sam Allgood & William B. Walstad & John J. Siegfried, 2015. "Research on Teaching Economics to Undergraduates," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(2), pages 285-325, June.
    9. Carolyn Chisadza & Matthew Clance & Thulani Mthembu & Nicky Nicholls & Eleni Yitbarek, 2021. "Online and face‐to‐face learning: Evidence from students’ performance during the Covid‐19 pandemic," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 33(S1), pages 114-125, April.
    10. Olitsky, Neal H. & Cosgrove, Sarah B., 2016. "The better blend? Flipping the principles of microeconomics classroom," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 1-11.
    11. Oskar R. Harmon & James Lambrinos, 2008. "Are Online Exams an Invitation to Cheat?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(2), pages 116-125, April.
    12. repec:ags:joaaec:163229 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Sarah B. Cosgrove & Neal H. Olitsky, 2015. "Knowledge retention, student learning, and blended course work: Evidence from principles of economics courses," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(2), pages 556-579, October.
    14. M Paula Cacault & Christian Hildebrand & Jérémy Laurent-Lucchetti & Michele Pellizzari, 2021. "Distance Learning in Higher Education: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment [A Randomized Assessment of Online Learning]," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 19(4), pages 2322-2372.
    15. Adel Ben Youssef & Ludovic Ragni, 2008. "Uses of Information and Communication Technologies in Europe's Higher Education Institutions: From Digital Divides to Digital Trajectories," Post-Print halshs-00937212, HAL.
    16. Saima Yasmeen & Muhammad Tayyab Alam & Muhammad Mushtaq & Maqsud Alam Bukhari, 2015. "Comparative Study of the Availability and Use of Information Technology in the Subject of Education in Public and Private Universities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, October.
    17. Marigee Bacolod & Stephen Mehay & Elda Pema, 2018. "Who succeeds in distance learning? Evidence from quantile panel data estimation," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 84(4), pages 1129-1145, April.
    18. Oskar Harmon & William Alpert & Joseph Histen, 2014. "Online Discussion and Learning Outcomes," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 20(1), pages 33-44, February.
    19. Eric P. Bettinger & Lindsay Fox & Susanna Loeb & Eric S. Taylor, 2017. "Virtual Classrooms: How Online College Courses Affect Student Success," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(9), pages 2855-2875, September.
    20. Goulas, Sofoklis & Griselda, Silvia & Megalokonomou, Rigissa, 2023. "Compulsory class attendance versus autonomy," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 935-981.
    21. Marigee Bacolod & Latika Chaudhary, 2018. "Distance To Promotion: Evidence From Military Graduate Education," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 36(4), pages 667-677, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    online learning; face-to-face lecture; attendance; regression discontinuity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A2 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-15-00188. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: John P. Conley (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.