@techreport{AmannRzepka2021, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Amann, Erwin and Rzepka, Sylvi}, title = {The Effect of Goal-Setting Prompts in a Blended Learning Environment}, series = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, journal = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, number = {25}, issn = {2628-653X}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-49347}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-493476}, pages = {22, vi}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We investigate how inviting students to set task-based goals affects usage of an online learning platform and course performance. We design and implement a randomized field experiment in a large mandatory economics course with blended learning elements. The low-cost treatment induces students to use the online learning system more often, more intensively, and to begin earlier with exam preparation. Treated students perform better in the course than the control group: they are 18.8\% (0.20 SD) more likely to pass the exam and earn 6.7\% (0.19 SD) more points on the exam. There is no evidence that treated students spend significantly more time, rather they tend to shift to more productive learning methods. The heterogeneity analysis suggests that higher treatment effects are associated with higher levels of behavioral bias but also with poor early course behavior.}, language = {en} } @article{AmannRzepka2022, author = {Amann, Erwin and Rzepka, Sylvi}, title = {The effect of goal-setting prompts in a blended learning environment}, series = {Economics of education review}, volume = {92}, journal = {Economics of education review}, publisher = {Elsevier Science}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0272-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.econedurev.2022.102331}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Previous literature has shown that task-based goal-setting and distributed learning is beneficial to university-level course performance. We investigate the effects of making these insights salient to students by sending out goal-setting prompts in a blended learning environment with bi-weekly quizzes. The randomized field experiment in a large mandatory economics course shows promising results: the treated students outperform the control group. They are 18.8\% (0.20 SD) more likely to pass the exam and earn 6.7\% (0.19 SD) more points on the exam. While we cannot causally disentangle the effects of goal-setting from the prompt sent, we observe that treated students use the online learning platform earlier in the semester and attempt more online exercises compared to the control group. The heterogeneity analysis suggests that higher treatment effects are associated with low performance at the beginning of the course.}, language = {en} }