In-Class vs. Online Experiments: Is There a Difference?

Classroom experiments in economics continue to increase in popularity. While early experiments were often hand-run in class, now computerized online experiments are also widely available. Using a quasiexperimental approach, the authors investigated whether any difference in student achievement (as measured by course scores and the Test of Understanding in College Economics (TUCE) (Saunders 1991)) or other outcomes exists between students exposed to experiments in class and students exposed to them online. In this investigation, class sections differed only in the manner through which the experiments were administered: manually in class; or computerized online. The authors found no significant difference in student achievement or overall views of the course or instructor between the two treatments. The authors did, however, find that students exposed to hand-run experiments report more favorable views of the experimental pedagogy and report higher levels of interaction with their classmates.