Another way of teaching microeconomics: Impact evaluation of the CORE project

Taking advantage of a random assignment to a conventional introductory microeconomics course or to a course based on the CORE Project in Uruguay, we provide causal evidence regarding the effects of CORE on academic performance, motivation, social preferences, and economic opinions of students. We show that CORE students have higher rates of approval in the introductory microeconomic course, lower rates of approval in a calculus course, and no differential rates of approval in an advanced microeconomic course. Additionally, we find that CORE students believe to a greater extent that the introductory micro course they received contributed to their academic/professional formation. We do not observe differences in economic opinions but we find that female CORE students are less altruistic and present higher negative reciprocity than their counterparts, while male CORE students have lower negative reciprocity.