• Negative Impacts From the Shift to Online Learning During the COVID-19 Crisis: Evidence from a Statewide Community College System
Sep 01, 2020
By Kelli A. Bird
Benjamin Castleman
Gabrielle Lohner

Negative Impacts From the Shift to Online Learning During the COVID-19 Crisis: Evidence from a Statewide Community College System

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an abrupt shift from in-person to virtual instruction in Spring 2020. Using a difference-in-differences framework that leverages within-course variation on whether students started their Spring 2020 courses in person or online, we estimate the impact of this shift on the academic performance of Virginia’s community college students. We find that the shift to virtual instruction resulted in a 6.7 percentage point decrease in course completion, driven by increases in both course withdrawal and failure. Faculty experience teaching a course online did not mitigate the negative effects of moving to virtual instruction.

Link to Paper
Areas of focus
Education
UVA partners
EdPolicyWorks: Center for Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness

Kelli A. Bird

Benjamin Castleman

Benjamin Castleman

Ben Castleman is an Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Read full bio

Gabrielle Lohner

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