The Impact of Virtual Education on the Academic Performance of Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Economics Students, University of Tehran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran,

2 Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of virtual education on the academic performance of students during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the field of economics at the University of Tehran. The research utilizes three key criteria-GPA, course enrollment behavior, and course dropout-to assess the extent of the impact through regression methods. The sample comprises 281 undergraduate students and 279 master's students who attended the university between 2016 and 2020 (academic semesters from 2016 Fall to 2020 Winter). In addition to academic data, the study includes personal characteristics of students, such as gender, native or non-native status, and scholarship type. The findings reveal that the virtualization of education has led to a slight decrease in the average number of enrolled units, and no significant changes were observed before and after this transition. However, other variables, notably the number of dropped or withdrawn courses, were significantly affected by the change in teaching style. Furthermore, the GPA of students increased with the implementation of virtual education, both at the undergraduate and master's levels, with a more substantial increase observed among undergraduate students. These insights shed light on the impact of virtual education on students' academic performance during the pandemic, providing valuable considerations for educational institutions facing similar challenges.
  JEL Classification: I21; I23; I24

Keywords

References

  1. پورتقی راستگو مقدم، ساجده و جدیدزاده، علی (1401). تأثیر جنسیت، سهمیه تحصیلی و محل زندگی بر عملکرد تحصیلی دانشجویان: مطالعه موردی دانشجویان اقتصاد، دانشگاه تهران، تحقیقات اقتصادی، 57 (4)، 620-656.
  1. Adnan, M., & Anwar, K. (2020). Online Learning amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Students' Perspectives. Online Submission, 2(1), 45-51.
  2. Allen, I.E., & Seaman, J. (2010). Class differences: Online Education In The United States, 2010. Sloan Consortium (NJ1).
  3. Aucejo, E. M., French, J., Araya, M. P. U., & Zafar, B. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on student experiences and expectations: Evidence from a survey. Journal of public economics, 191, 104271.
  4. Bowers, W. J. (1964). Student dishonesty and its control in college. Bureau of Applied Social Research, Columbia University.
  5. Brown, B.S., & McInerney, M. (2008). Changes In Academic Dishonesty Among Business Students In The United States, 1999-2006. International Journal of Management, 25(4), p.621.
  6. Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., & Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry research, 287, 112934.
  7. Crick, T., Knight, C., Watermeyer, R., & Goodall, J. (2020, September). The impact of COVID-19 and “Emergency Remote Teaching” on the UK computer science education community. In United Kingdom & Ireland Computing Education Research conference. 31-37.
  8. Crown, D.F., & Spiller, M.S. (1998). Learning From The Literature On Collegiate Cheating: A Review of Empirical Research. Journal of Business Ethics, 17(6), 683-700.
  9. Fask, A., Englander, F., & Wang, Z. (2014). Do Online Exams Facilitate Cheating? An Experiment Designed to Separate Possible Cheating From The Effect of The Online Test Taking Environment. Journal of Academic Ethics, 12(2), 101-112.
  10. Harmon, O.R., & Lambrinos, J. (2008). Are Online Exams An Invitation To Cheat?. The Journal of Economic Education, 39(2), 116-125.
  11. Hollister, K.K., & Berenson, M.L. (2009). Proctored Versus Unproctored Online Exams: Studying The Impact of Exam Environment On Student Performance. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 7(1), 271-294.
  12. Kennedy, K., Nowak, S., Raghuraman, R., Thomas, J., & Davis, S.F., (2000). Academic Dishonesty and Distance Learning: Student And Faculty Views. College Student Journal, 34.(2).
  13. Kidwell, L.A., & Kent, J. (2008). Integrity At A Distance: A Study Of Academic Misconduct Amon University Students On And Off Campus. Accounting Education: an International  Journal, 17(S1), S3-S16.
  14. Lewis, L., Snow, K., Farris, E., & Levin, D. (1999). Distance Rducation At Postsecondary Education Institutions, 1997-98. Statistical Analysis Report.
  15. McCabe, D.L., Treviño, L.K., & Butterfield, K.D. (2001). Cheating In Academic Institutions: A Decade of Research. Ethics & Behavior, 11(3), 219-232.
  16. Peng, Z. (2007). Giving Online Quizzes In Corporate Finance And Investments For A Better Use of Seat Time. Journal of Educators Online, 4(2), p.n2.
  17. Pourtaghi Rastgoo Moghadam, S., & Jadidzadeh, A. (2023). Academic Performance of Students by Gender, Educational Credit and Residency: Evidence from Economics Students at a Public University in Iran. Journal of Economic Research (Tahghighat-E-Eghtesadi) 57 (4), 629-656 (in Persian).
  18. Porter, S.R. (2011). Do College Student Surveys Have Any Validity?. The Review of Higher Education, 35(1), 45-76.
  19. Toti, G., & Alipour, M. A. (2021). Computer science students’ perceptions of emergency remote teaching: An experience report. SN computer science, 2, 1-9.
  20. Yates, R.W. and Beaudrie, B. (2009). The Impact of Online Assessment on Grades In Community College Distance Education Mathematics Courses. The Amer. Jrnl. of Distance Education, 23(2), 62-70.
Journal of Economic Research (Tahghighat- E- Eghtesadi)
Volume 58, Issue 4 - Serial Number 145
December 2023
Pages 565-592

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 26 August 2023
  • Revise Date: 25 October 2023
  • Accept Date: 03 December 2023

Share

How to cite

Statistics