Memorization and Performance During Pandemic Remote Instruction: Evidence of Shifts from an Interactive Textbook

Abstract

Students believe mathematics is best learned by memorization; however, endorsing memorization as a study strategy is associated with worse learning (Schoenfeld, 1989). When the world changed with the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, instruction transitioned to fully remote instruction where many assignments and examinations became open-textbook, open-note, and even open-internet. In this new world, did students change their beliefs about the role of memorization in learning? Did academic performance change? And did the relationship between memorization beliefs and academic performance change? The current study takes advantage of data (N = 2668) collected in an online interactive statistics textbook used by courses before (in-person) and after (remote) the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic at three institutions, each representing a part of the California Master Plan for Higher Education (e.g., University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges). Results showed that the UC institution had lower memorization belief scores compared to both the CSU and CCC institutions. Even when controlling for institution and chapter of the textbook, lower memorization belief scores were related to higher performance. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences in either memorization beliefs nor performance pre- and post-declaration of the pandemic. Although much of educational research is conducted in one institution, this kind of research can identify differences across institutional contexts to understand how learning can be affected by disruptive social changes such as a global pandemic.