Online Student Performance Research Articles

Learning Outcomes in an online vs traditional course

Relative enrollment in online classes has tripled over the last ten years, but the efficacy of learning online remains unclear. While two recent Meta analyses report higher exam grades for online vs. traditional classes, this body of research has been marked by two recurrent limitations: (1) a possible problem of selection bias wherein students self select the mode of course delivery and (2) a relative lack of proctoring of exams in online sections. Both of these confounders contribute to observed differences in performance. The present study addresses these limitations. Data refer to 64 students enrolled in criminology classes at a Carnegie research extensive university. Due to an administrative error in the course schedule, which failed to list one section as online, students were unable to self select into the online section, creating a rare opportunity for quasi randomization of students into sections. Both sections were taught by the same instructor. The dependent variable is the score on the standardized final examination. All exams were proctored by the instructor. The central independent variable is method of delivery of content: online vs. the traditional classroom. Controlling for other constructs, there was no significant difference between exam scores. Also, student evaluations did not differ between sections. Controlling for selection effects and the proctoring of exams, the academic performance of online students was the same as that of traditional students. Future work is needed for other courses, other fields, and other types of academic institutions.

Comparing Student Performance in Online and Face-to-face Delivery Modalities

The purpose of the research was to compare student performance in an online or face-to-face (F2F) required Psychology course on three distinct sets of variables (i.e., pre-course, course, and post-course variables). Analyses revealed mixed significant and nonsignificant results. Students did not differ in terms of such variables as hours transferred to the university from prior schools, total hours earned toward their degrees, and number of hours currently attempted. However, online students had significantly lower grade point averages, missed significantly more grade opportunities, and were significantly more likely to fail the course compared to their F2F counterparts. These and other results are discussed in relation to potentially developing a different lens through which to view student performance in online courses.

An analysis of the determinants of students’ performance in e-learning

Previous studies show empirical evidence on the positive effect on students’ performance from the adoption of innovations in the technology of teaching and learning. These innovations do not affect all teaching methods and learning styles equally. Rather, it depends on some variables, such as the strategy of a university towards adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), students’ abilities, technology uses in the educational process by teachers and students, or the selection of a methodology that matches with digital uses. This paper provides answers to these questions with data from an experimental set-up performed within the eLene-EE project, and using an empirical model based on structural equations. Our results show that motivation is the main variable affecting performance of online students, confirming the importance of this factor as a source of educational efficiency. Motivation appears in our model as a latent variable receiving the influence of students’ perception of efficiency, which is, in turn, a driver for the indirect positive and significant effect on students’ performance from students’ ability in ICT uses.

SU-E-P-07: Medical Physics Residency Structure and Performance Improvement

Purpose: To investigate how structural improvements of the program affect resident's performance and overall program quality. Methods: The Medical Physics Residency at Vassar Brothers Medical Center was implemented in 2009. The self study defining sixteen competencies was created in 2010 in accordance with AAPM Report 90. Initially schedule had loosely followed rotations; competency timing was not predetermined. In spring 2012, the residency curriculum was restructured to include a monthly timetable with multiple deadlines with the clearly defined scope of knowledge and number of clinical cases necessary. Competency exams were organized in order of complexity and given proportional and adequate spacing. Additionally, competency exams were changed to follow a presentation‐style format with standardized content. The new system was implemented for the class of 2014. Class of 2013 received a similar but more accelerated schedule to ensure graduation. Performance was tracked through Typhon Group LLC, an online student performance tracking system. Results: Resident performance was tracked with monthly reports from clinical supervisors on each resident's preparation, engagement and enthusiasm, time management, quality of work, mastery of subject, follow through, punctuality and attendance, physical presentation, and comportment. 2012 class mean was 88.5%, 2013 class mean was 85.7%, and 2014 class mean was 93.3%.Resident satisfaction on the specific rotation was also tracked with monthly reports on organization, clarity, content, workload and time allocation. 2013 class mean was 84%. 2014 class mean was 93.9%.Resident's evaluation of clinical supervisors was also performed and included preparation, engagement and enthusiasm, mastery of subject, engagement as a mentor, accessibility and comportment. 2013 class mean was 80.7%, 2014 class mean was 98.9%. Conclusion: Improved structure and clear schedule increased resident satisfaction and performance. Future analysis shall include ABR part II and III pass rates as well.

Impact of class selection reasons on online student performance: an Operations Management case study

Demand for undergraduate online classes has dramatically increased. This research note explores whether reasons for students taking online classes impact their class performance. Data was collected from an online version of a required business class, Operations Management (OM), at a major comprehensive US University. Results of this study indicated modest evidence that online Course Selection Reasons (or CSRs) moderated the relationship between student GPA, a surrogate representation of their ability, and class performance. Thus, online classes may better enhance student experiences if potential course performance benefits are emphasised.

A Logistic Approach To Predicting Student Success In Online Database Courses

This paper examines the affects of reading comprehension on the performance of online students in a beginning database management class. Reading comprehension is measured by the results of a Cloze Test administered online to the students during the first week of classes. Using data collected from 2002 through 2008, the significance of the Cloze Test score is analyzed with respect to the three different assessment methods used in the class as well as to the overall average score of the students in the class. The data are tested using a binary logistic model that analyzes the data on a success (improvement) or failure (no improvement) basis. The analysis finds that reading comprehension has a significant impact on the scores students earn on examinations and on the final class average. However, the reading comprehension score has no significant impact on assessments that are more under the control of the student such as online open-book quizzes and projects.

Unmooring the Moor: Researching and Teaching on YouTube

In this essay, Thompson analyzes how Asian-American students conceptualize, contest, and perform American blackness within their amateur Shakespearean performances. In the clips discussed, Othello is unmoored historically, linguistically, and narratively. Like many online student performance videos, these videos update the language, setting, and even the plot of Othello . In addition, these videos unmoor Othello racially, with casts comprised solely of Asian-American students. Therefore, Othello's difference from the rest of the characters is visually unmoored (unlike performance videos that feature a black Othello or employ blackface). But the clips are disturbingly moored in a familiar performance strategy: they update Othello's narrative by framing it in a fantasy of contemporary black American culture. Thompson finishes the essay with a discussion about the productive potential to unmoor Othello through the interactivity of the Internet.

Student Performance in Online and Face-to-Face Microeconomics: Evidence from Adult Learners

There have been few studies comparing student performance in online and face-to-face economics courses. Those studies that have been undertaken have concentrated on traditional students (18- to 22-year-olds). This paper examines student outcomes in an undergraduate course in microeconomics taught to non-traditional students (average age is 33 years). Analysis using multiple regression techniques suggests that there is no significant difference in grade between online and classroom students. Additional analysis that controls for sample selection bias does not change the result. This result may vary from previous studies because the student population was non-traditional and therefore more motivated and dedicated to learning in any format. This result has important policy implications since the adult student population in the US accounts for about 40 per cent of the higher education market.

Knowledge Transfer in Online Learning Environments

Research comparing online and traditional course delivery methods has sought to demonstrate the equivalence of student performance in online and traditional courses. This study examines the unique proposition that online course delivery is superior to traditional when it comes to applied learning and is thus superior in the process of knowledge transfer. Students in six sections of Principles of Marketing differing in the method of course delivery are used in three studies to test this hypothesis. In the first study, online students outperformed traditional students in two of three parts of a business plan project. These findings are replicated in the second and third studies conducted in subsequent semesters. Process measures taken in the third study indicate that online students' confidence in the course material is related to a greater sense of community; a student debriefing reveals that there is more cooperation among online student teams than in traditional teams. These results indicate the usefulness of online courses for developing skills leading to the application of classroom knowledge to real-world projects.

Student Performance in Online and Traditional Sections of an Undergraduate Management Course

Few previous studies comparing online and traditional courses have focused on undergraduate management courses. Our results complement previous analyses finding that, when we control for factors such as class, major, and GPA, students in online courses do as well in objective measures of performance, but not better than students in traditional courses. We also found that in the online sections, females performed at least as well as males. We discuss these results in relation to some changes in online education and the persistent perception by some that online education is somewhat problematic because students need more discipline in online courses.

Comparing Student Performance in Online and Blended Sections of a GIS Programming Class

AbstractEducators and non‐educators alike commonly assume that online courses cannot match the effectiveness of their traditional, face‐to‐face counterparts. This article describes a comparative study of the performance and study habits of two groups of students in a course in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software programming and customization: one delivered online to adult professionals working asynchronously; the other delivered in a blended, online/face‐to‐face environment to upper‐level undergraduates in residence. Course grades show that the undergraduate cohort underperformed in comparison to the online cohort, in spite of the fact that their version of the course included face‐to‐face lecture and lab time in addition to the online course materials. To explore differences in the study habits of the two groups, all students were asked to keep a diary of the time they devoted to coursework. Information from these diaries suggest that a student's ability to meet learning objectives is less dependent on the course content delivery mechanism than it is on the student's motivation, maturity and time management skills.

Comparing grades in online and face-to-face writing courses: Interpersonal accountability and institutional commitment

In spite of benefits surrounding distance education programs, many online writing courses suffer from low student completion rates. Student retention has been identified as a concern in a number of studies of online education. We extend this discussion by examining the relationship of assessment of student work to retention, and comparing the grades students receive in online and face-to-face undergraduate writing courses. Our data point to what we call the “thrive or dive” phenomenon for student performance in online writing courses, which describes the disproportionately high percentage of students who fail or do not complete online courses compared to conventional, face-to-face courses. We extend this discussion on challenges related to student retention and propose instructional approaches for online learning that include the interpersonal accountability between teachers and students, as well as the institutional commitment necessary to ensure that students can succeed in online writing courses and programs.

A comparison of undergraduate student performance in online and traditional courses

As online instruction becomes more prevalent at the college and university level, researchers are attempting to measure the success of these programs using a variety of methodologies, instruments, ...

Performance indicators in online distance learning courses: a study of management education

Examines student performance indicators in online distance learning courses offered on the Internet at a mid‐sized private college in the USA. A sample of 74 undergraduate and 147 graduate business students in ten courses were selected for statistical analysis of their grade performance and the relationship with various indicators. The research results include findings that gender and age are related differently for undergraduate and graduate students to performance in distance learning courses, and that undergraduate grades, age, work experience, and discussion board grades are significantly related to overall course performance. However, standardized test scores (SATs, GMATs) and organization position level are not related to the performance in distance learning courses. Makes recommendations for further qualitative and empirical research on distance learning student performance in online computer‐mediated courses and programs.

Obtaining a clinical laboratory science degree via distance technology.

To identify institutions and program officials associated with clinical laboratory science (CLS) academic programs available via distance technology; to collect and summarize data from these programs with regard to on-line instructional methodologies; to determine the level of success of educational strategies and methodologies utilized in on-line CLS programs; to determine the feasibility of developing an on-line program at Seward County Community College (SCCC), Liberal, Kansas. An on-line CLS program survey tool was sent to eight higher education institutions which had previously indicated that they offer a CLS academic program at the associate, bachelor, or master level via distance technology. Program officials were asked to answer questions pertaining to areas such as program format, on-line admission requirements, program costs, student costs, faculty workload, and on-campus versus on-line student performance. The survey was sent to eight program officials who identified their institutions as having a CLS program available through distance technology. Responses from current distance technology CLS program officials were collected and tallied. Responses were recorded as 'yes' or 'no' in categories such as program format, program and student costs, and comparison of on-campus versus on-line student performance. The two groups of students were compared in areas of success rate, retention rate, graduation rate, external certification pass rate, employment placement rate, and employer satisfaction level. The response rate for the survey was 87.5% (7/8). Program officials indicated that various educational methodologies were incorporated in providing CLS education via distance technology. All of the respondents utilize some type of Web-enhanced, Internet based access to deliver course material. Clinical laboratory procedures are taught via instruction within a cooperative laboratory, program clinical affiliate laboratory, or during on-campus student laboratories. Program officials indicated that student enrollment has increased due to the availability of the distance technology. Students enrolled via distance technology perform as well or better than the on-campus students on certification exams and in the clinical setting. Data from these institutions indicate that it is feasible to develop an on-line program at SCCC in an effort to increase student enrollment. The results indicate that CLS programs which offer the curriculum via distance technology have experienced increased student enrollment thus graduating more students to fill the employment needs. These current distance technology programs are leading the future trends in CLS education of the 21st century.

Continuous Online Student Performance Evaluations

Abstract Every teacher needs to give students feedback on their performance. This article describes a spreadsheet that provides students using a network with an up-to-date summary of their performance. After the instructor enters grades and other material such as attendance into the spreadsheet, a macro causes each student's record to be sent to his or her network area. Students can examine their grade summary any time they are connected to the network. The article describes the implementation of this grades-on-demand concept and uses Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.2 for DOS and version 5.0 for Windows for examples

On the manufacture of cast steel, its progress, and employment as a substitute for wrought iron

Previous studies show empirical evidence on the positive effect on students’ performance from the adoption of innovations in the technology of teaching and learning. These innovations do not affect all teaching methods and learning styles equally. Rather, it depends on some variables, such as the strategy of a university towards adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), students’ abilities, technology uses in the educational process by teachers and students, or the selection of a methodology that matches with digital uses. This paper provides answers to these questions with data from an experimental set-up performed within the eLene-EE project, and using an empirical model based on structural equations. Our results show that motivation is the main variable affecting performance of online students, confirming the importance of this factor as a source of educational efficiency. Motivation appears in our model as a latent variable receiving the influence of students’ perception of efficiency, which is, in turn, a driver for the indirect positive and significant effect on students’ performance from students’ ability in ICT uses.