Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Papers,
Lund University, Department of Economics

No 2021:8: Get Rich or Fail Your Exam Tryin': Gender, Socioeconomic Status and Spillover Effects of Blended Learning

Adrian Mehic () and Charlotta Olofsson ()
Additional contact information
Adrian Mehic: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Box 7082, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden
Charlotta Olofsson: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Box 7082, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden

Abstract: We evaluate an experiment at a Swedish university, in which students were quasi- randomized to either taking all their courses online, or to have some courses online and some on campus. We show that having some courses in person improved grades only among female students with affluent parents. Detailed individual-level survey data suggests that there was no relationship between socioeconomy and adverse mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, by estimating each student’s network position, linked with administrative data on parental income, we show that female students with wealthy parents have significantly less constrained social networks, facilitating communication with peers.

Keywords: online learning; COVID-19; social networks

JEL-codes: I23; I28; J16; Z13

Language: English

63 pages, First version: May 13, 2021. Revised: October 16, 2022. Earlier revisions: October 16, 2022.

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