Does Online Engagement Improve Students' Performance in a Large Classroom: Empirical Evidence from a Microeconomics module at University of Sheffield International College during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper investigates the association between students’ online engagement and their performance in a HE (level 6) compulsory Microeconomics module. The data for this study comes from a unique purpose-built student online survey with a large cohort of 282 students in University of Sheffield International College (USIC) in England. The dataset was also matched with college administrative data to access students’ performance records. Students’ performance was measured from their end-of-term summative assessment score in the module. Multiple Regression analysis was used to identify the relationship between students' engagement and performance. The findings show a positive and significant relationship between online engagement (performance in formative assessments and use of discussion boards) and performance (end-of -term score). This study also provides useful insights by informing as to what works best for students in large classrooms regarding their engagement.