Abstract
Under normal circumstances, when students invest more effort in their schoolwork, they generally show evidence of improved academic achievement. But when universities abruptly transitioned to remote instruction in Spring 2020, instructors assigned rapidly-prepared online learning activities, disrupting the normal relationship between effort and outcomes. In this study, we examine this relationship using data observed from a large-scale survey of undergraduate students, from logs of student activity in the online learning management system, and from students’ estimated cumulative performance in their courses (n = 4,636). We find that there was a general increase in the number of assignments that students were expected to complete following the transition to remote instruction, and that students who spent more time and reported more effort carrying out this coursework generally had lower course performance and reported feeling less successful. We infer that instructors, under pressure to rapidly put their course materials online, modified their courses to include online busywork that did not constitute meaningful learning activities, which had a detrimental effect on student outcomes at scale. These findings are discussed in contrast with other situations when increased engagement does not necessarily lead to improved learning outcomes, and in comparison with the broader relationship between effort and academic achievement.
Highlights
Under normal circumstances, when students invest more effort in their schoolwork, they generally show evidence of improved academic achievement
All respondents who are included in the current study provided a digital signature at the start of the survey, giving permission for members of the study team to access specific elements of their private student information contained in the Canvas learning management system (LMS) for the purposes of this study
As expected, when courses transitioned to remote instruction due to COVID-19, there was an increase in the cumulative number of assignments students were expected to complete in the learning management system
Summary
Under normal circumstances, when students invest more effort in their schoolwork, they generally show evidence of improved academic achievement. Studies find that these objective measures of a student’s LMS activity are positively associated with engagement and achievement (Cerezo et al, 2016; Conijn et al, 2017; Joksimović et al, 2015; You, 2016; Yu & Jo, 2014), even when controlling for the amount of work assigned within a course (Motz et al, 2019) Given these patterns, college instructors, facing the reality of transitioning all their course materials online in a short period of time, would have been well-justified in prioritizing the development of activities to help their students stay engaged during the period of remote instruction. Research on past disruptions to college teaching suggests that maintaining student engagement in their studies is a critical component of academic continuity (Day, 2015; SchWeber, 2013)
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