Predictors of exam performance in Web and lecture courses

Abstract

THE FIRST OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH was to compare the demographic and academic profiles of introductory sociology students who completed Web-based courses (n=62) to those who completed traditional lecture-based courses (n=77). The second objective was to determine the extent to which demographic variables (age, gender, and race), academic variables (high school grade point average, and verbal and quantitative Scholastic Assessment Test scores) differentially predicted exam performance in the two learning environments. The demographic and academic profiles of students in the two learning environments were similar, with the exception of racial composition. The Web-based courses had a significantly lower percentage of racial minorities than the lecture-based courses. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that race was a significant predictor of exam performance in the Web-based courses but not in the lecture-based courses. The implications of the findings and the need for further investigation regarding differential racial enrollment rates and academic success in Web-based courses are discussed