Do Online Homework Tools Improve Student Results in Principles of Microeconomics Courses

Recent technological advances in education have made it possible for instructors to use new tools in their attempt to enhance student interest and improve understanding of economic principles. A substantial body of economic education literature has examined the effectiveness of these tools in influencing student performance. Generally, these studies compare student performance between a control group and a test group. In the last decade or so, these new tools have tended to focus on different aspects of computer technology and whether or not use of the technology enhances student learning. Along these lines, Agarwal and Day (1998) found that use of the Internet in economics instruction had a positive effect on student learning as measured by improvement in the Test of Understanding in College Economics (TUCE) scores in both graduate and undergraduate economics courses. Similarly, Sosin et al. (2004) suggest that TUCE scores of students in classes using extensive technology showed a small but significant improvement over those students in classes using little technology. This paper contributes to and extends the literature by reporting the results of an empirical study investigating the effect on student learning of an online homework tool, Aplia, compared to the more traditional instructor-assigned and -graded homework. Do Online Homework Tools Improve Student Results in Principles of Microeconomics Courses?