Prior-learning, assessment structures and gender and ethnic concerns in introductory economics

This paper investigates the importance of variables on student performance on different types of questions in a first year economics subject. The multi-year data set used provides detailed demographic and performance characteristics of 2320 student enrolled in a major multi-campus university. We found that higher levels of mathematics and economics taken prior to university are associated with improved student performance. Moreover, the type of assessment structure utilised seemed to have a differential impact on particular demographic groups of students.