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

This study uses 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, the authors find that students performed substantially worse, on average, in Spring 2020 when compared to Spring or Fall 2019. They find no evidence that the effect was driven by specific demographic groups. However, their 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.