Turn the camera on to get better grade: Evidence from a field experiment

Abstract

The economics literature provides mixed results on the effect of online classroom technology on student outcomes. An emerging body of behavioral studies suggests that videoconferencing is a cognitively exhausting activity and that the camera that is a salient feature of virtual meetings is a leading cause of this fatigue, with a more pronounced effect on women. Thus, economists and behavioral scientists debate whether online education and its technology provide an effective method of instruction. We use a field experimental design to examine how camera use in online synchronous economics classes affects learning outcomes. We find that changing the method of student engagement from turning the camera off to turning it on increases quiz grades by 0.18 standard deviations while we control for students’ gender and aptitude.