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Online Teaching, Procrastination and Students’ Achievement: Evidence from COVID-19 Induced Remote Learning

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  • De Paola, Maria

    (University of Calabria)

  • Gioia, Francesca

    (University of Milan)

  • Scoppa, Vincenzo

    (University of Calabria)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools and universities to transit from traditional class-based teaching to online learning. This paper investigates the impact produced by this shift on students' performance. We use administrative data of four cohorts of students enrolled in an Italian University and adopt a difference-in-differences strategy exploiting the fact that the transition to online teaching has taken place at the beginning of the second semester, while classes were face-to-face in the first semester. We compare students' performance in the second semester of 2020 with their performance in the first semester and contrast this difference with the difference between second and first semester in the previous academic years. Controlling for a number of variables proxying for COVID-19 incidence and internet connections' quality, we find that online teaching has reduced students' performance of about 1.4 credits per semester (0.11 Standard Deviations). Freshmen are those who suffer more, while almost no negative effect is found for Master's Degree students. Since the need for self-discipline in an online environment could cause students' low achievements, we study the role of procrastination and show that online teaching has been particularly detrimental for students affected by present-bias problems.

Suggested Citation

  • De Paola, Maria & Gioia, Francesca & Scoppa, Vincenzo, 2022. "Online Teaching, Procrastination and Students’ Achievement: Evidence from COVID-19 Induced Remote Learning," IZA Discussion Papers 15031, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15031
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    Cited by:

    1. Hardt, David & Nagler, Markus & Rincke, Johannes, 2022. "Can peer mentoring improve online teaching effectiveness? An RCT during the COVID-19 pandemic," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Riudavets-Barcons, Marc & Uusitalo, Roope, 2023. "School Closures and Student Achievement: Evidence from a High Stakes Exam," IZA Discussion Papers 16074, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Anja Žnidaršič & Alenka Brezavšček & Gregor Rus & Janja Jerebic, 2022. "Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Mathematics Achievement? A Case Study of University Students in Social Sciences," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(13), pages 1-23, July.
    4. Meier, Dennis H. & Thomsen, Stephan L. & Trunzer, Johannes, 2022. "The Financial Situation of Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-696, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
    5. Bratti, Massimiliano & Lippo, Enrico, 2022. "COVID-19 and the Gender Gap in University Student Performance," IZA Discussion Papers 15456, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    online teaching; students' performance; COVID-19; procrastination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software

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