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Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: It Is Not Who You Teach, but How You Teach

Author

Listed:
  • Orlov, George

    (Cornell University)

  • McKee, Douglas

    (Cornell University)

  • Berry, James

    (University of Delaware)

  • Boyle, Austin

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • DiCiccio, Thomas J.

    (Cornell University)

  • Ransom, Tyler

    (University of Oklahoma)

  • Rees-Jones, Alex

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Stoye, Joerg

    (Cornell University)

Abstract

We use standardized end-of-course knowledge assessments to examine student learning during the disruptions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining seven economics courses taught at four US R1 institutions, we find that students performed substantially worse, on average, in Spring 2020 when compared to Spring or Fall 2019. We find no evidence that the effect was driven by specific demographic groups. However, our results suggest that teaching methods that encourage active engagement, such as the use of small group activities and projects, played an important role in mitigating this negative effect. Our results point to methods for more effective online teaching as the pandemic continues.

Suggested Citation

  • Orlov, George & McKee, Douglas & Berry, James & Boyle, Austin & DiCiccio, Thomas J. & Ransom, Tyler & Rees-Jones, Alex & Stoye, Joerg, 2020. "Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: It Is Not Who You Teach, but How You Teach," IZA Discussion Papers 13813, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13813
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Thomas G. Greene & C. Nathan Marti & Kay McClenney, 2008. "The Effort—Outcome Gap: Differences for African American and Hispanic Community College Students in Student Engagement and Academic Achievement," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 79(5), pages 513-539, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Binelli, Chiara & Comi, Simona & Meschi, Elena & Pagani, Laura, 2024. "Every cloud has a silver lining: The role of study time and class recordings on university students’ performance during COVID-19," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 305-328.
    2. Sarah Cattan & Christine Farquharson & Sonya Krutikova & Angus Phimister & Adam Salisbury & Almudena Sevilla, 2021. "Inequalities in responses to school closures over the course of the first COVID-19 lockdown," IFS Working Papers W21/4, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    3. Badruddoza, Syed & Amin, Modhurima Dey, 2023. "Impacts of Teaching Modality on U.S. COVID-19 Spread in Fall 2020 Semester," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 5(01), January.
    4. 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).
    5. Szabó, Andrea & Fekete, Mariann & Böcskei, Balázs & Nagy, Ádám, 2023. "Real-time experiences of Hungarian youth in digital education as an example of the impact of pandemia. “I’ve never had better grades on average: I got straight all the time”," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    6. Hardt, David & Nagler, Markus & Rincke, Johannes, 2023. "Tutoring in (online) higher education: Experimental evidence," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    7. Elena-Aurelia Botezat & Alexandru Constăngioară & Anca-Otilia Dodescu & Ioana-Crina Pop-Cohuţ, 2022. "How Stable Are Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions in the COVID-19 Pandemic Context?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, May.
    8. 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, IZA Network @ LISER.
    9. Bratti, Massimiliano & Lippo, Enrico, 2022. "COVID-19 and the Gender Gap in University Student Performance," IZA Discussion Papers 15456, IZA Network @ LISER.
    10. Acuña, Mauricio & Álvarez, Roberto & Avarca, Cristóbal, 2025. "The heterogeneous impact of COVID-19 on university student´s academic performance," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    11. Sanchayan Banerjee & Beatriz Jambrina-Canseco & Benjamin Brundu-Gonzalez & Claire Gordon & Jenni Carr, 2023. "Nudge or not, university teachers have mixed feelings about online teaching," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    12. List, John A. & Shah, Rohen, 2022. "The impact of team incentives on performance in graduate school: Evidence from two pilot RCTs," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    13. Ragni, Alessandra & Ippolito, Daniel & Masci, Chiara, 2024. "Assessing the impact of hybrid teaching on students’ academic performance via multilevel propensity score-based techniques," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    14. Hugues Champeaux & Lucia Mangiavacchi & Francesca Marchetta & Luca Piccoli, 2022. "Child development and distance learning in the age of COVID-19," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 659-685, September.
    15. Monroy-Gómez-Franco, Luis & Vélez-Grajales, Roberto & López-Calva, Luis F., 2022. "The potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on learnings," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    16. Li, Haizheng & Ma, Mingyu & Liu, Qinyi, 2022. "How the COVID-19 pandemic affects job sentiments of rural teachers," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    17. Picault, Julien, 2021. "Structure, Flexibility, and Consistency: A Dynamic Learning Approach for an Online Asynchronous Course," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 3(4), October.
    18. Birdi, Alvin & Cook, Steve & Elliott, Caroline & Lait, Ashley & Mehari, Tesfa & Wood, Max, 2023. "A critical review of recent economics pedagogy literature, 2020–2021," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    19. Douglas McKee & Steven Zhu & George Orlov, 2023. "Econ-assessments.org: Automated Assessment of Economics Skills," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 49(1), pages 4-14, January.
    20. Kenneth G. Elzinga & Daniel Q. Harper, 2023. "In‐person versus online instruction: Evidence from principles of economics," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 90(1), pages 3-30, July.
    21. Wang, Qingyu & Huang, Qing & Wu, Xiangfang & Tan, Jin & Sun, Panxu, 2023. "Categorical uncertainty in policy and bitcoin volatility," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    22. Haelermans, Carla & Korthals, Roxanne & Jacobs, Madelon & de Leeuw, Suzanne & Vermeulen, Stan & van Vugt, Lynn & Aarts, Bas & Breuer, Tijana & van der Velden, Rolf & van Wetten, Sanne & de Wolf, Inge, 2021. "Sharp increase in inequality in education in times of the COVID-19-pandemic," Research Memorandum 022, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    23. Sine Zambach & Jens Ulrik Hansen, 2023. "Student and teacher performance during COVID-19 lockdown: An investigation of associated features and complex interactions using multiple data sources," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(10), pages 1-29, October.
    24. Ahlstrom, Laura J. & Harter, Cynthia & Asarta, Carlos J., 2023. "Teaching methods and materials in undergraduate economics courses: School, instructor, and department effects," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions

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