Do Lectures Matter? Lecture Attendance in Online and Face to Face Histology Courses

Abstract

We have developed an online histology course covering the same material as a Face to Face (F2F) course. Previously, we reported no significant differences among outcomes between the formats. Here we investigate differences in student attendance. The online course uses Wimba Classroom to facilitate lectures. Students can attend the lectures live, or view archived versions later and also access archives for additional review. Wimba classroom records each time a student enters the virtual classroom. F2F attendance was measured by passing attendance sheets though the class for each lecture. Data indicates that F2F attendance drops mid‐term and then recovers prior to testing. Similarly, online attendance also drops mid‐term; however, these students can view the archived lecture at a later time. Written exams for this course are multiple choice questions each based on the material covered in a specific lecture. There is a correlation (r2 = 0.211, p< 0.05) between attendance and exam grades for the F2F students. For the online students who can view the archives many times, there is also significant positive correlation between attendance and exam outcomes; however, this correlation becomes negative after two viewings per lecture. These results suggest that lecture attendance improves outcomes and that while repeated viewings of the lecture are beneficial, this benefit declines with more than two viewings.Grant Funding Source : SSHRC