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Disconnecting Women: Gender Disparities in the Impact of Online Instruction

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  • Xiaoyue Shan
  • Ulf Zölitz
  • Uschi Backes-Gellner

Abstract

We study the impact of online instruction with a field experiment that randomly assigns 1,344 university students to different proportions of online and in-person lectures in multiple introductory courses. Increased online instruction leaves men’s exam performance unaffected but significantly lowers women’s performance, particularly in math-intensive courses. Online instruction also reduces women’s longer-run performance and increases their study dropout. Exploring mechanisms, we find that women exposed to more online lectures report greater difficulty in connecting with peers, less engaging instructors, and lower course satisfaction. Our findings suggest that shifting toward more online instruction may disproportionally harm women.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoyue Shan & Ulf Zölitz & Uschi Backes-Gellner, 2025. "Disconnecting Women: Gender Disparities in the Impact of Online Instruction," CESifo Working Paper Series 11997, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11997
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments

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