Online Learning Efficacy Research Database

This study aimed to compare the online and face-to-face teaching of a required algebra-based physics course for non-physics majors in large-enrollment course sections. The study design is quasi-experimental; the students self-selected to enroll in either the fully online and asynchronous course or the face-to-face course. In this study, we look at pre- and post-surveys, test grades, and course grades. A total of 116 students from both the face-to-face version (n = 76) and the online version (n = 40) of the course participated in this study. Both courses were taught by the same instructor and covered the same topics using identical homework, quizzes, and tests to ensure comparison fidelity. Findings show that general physics students do equally well in both face-to-face and online versions of the course. However, online students show a higher rate of satisfaction of the course. 
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Aim/Purpose. The objective of this study is to explore the effectiveness of using virtual experiments on students’ level of achievement and on their practical skills as well as their views on applying the virtual experiments in a general physics lab.
Background. There is a continuous debate in the literature on the effect of using virtual experiments/ lab on students’ physics learning and whether those virtual experiments can substitute and/or enhance students’ performance in the real lab. Also, there is a need to design effective learning environments which are more suitable to students’ characteristics in the digital age and can help them to acquire science inquiry and practical skills.
Methodology. Mixed research methodology is adopted including quasi-experimental design, achievement test, participatory observation, and semi-structured interviews. Two groups of students were selected: an experimental group (45 students) and control group (45 students). Contribution. The study results contribute to the ongoing discussion on the role of virtual lab in learning and teaching general physics lab and provide a model of combining virtual and real lab as well as an alternative solution under the times of COVID 19. 
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This study investigates the impact of blended learning—which combines face-to-face classroom instruction with online-mediated instruction—in the context of Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) pre-university science students. Although blended learning is a relatively recent addition to the college science classroom, studies have demonstrated that blended learning can create a more positive and active learning environment, and enhance both the quality of instruction and student learning outcomes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Today, blended learning approaches are increasingly adopted in classrooms across North American colleges and universities, yet blended learning has received limited attention in the context of CEGEP pre-university programs. The present study sought to address this gap by examining the effectiveness of instruction in the mechanics course in the physics pre-university program at an English CEGEP, comparing the blended learning approach and the traditional lecture-based instruction. The results suggest that the blended learning approach leads to more conceptual change, acquisition of more skills, and higher performance. The findings of this research provide valuable implications and encouragement for future implementations of blended learning in CEGEPs. 
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While the equivalence between online and traditional classrooms has been well-researched, very little of this includes college-level introductory Physics. Only one study explored Physics at the whole-class level rather than specific course components such as a single lab or a homework platform. In this work, we compared the failure rate, grade distribution, and withdrawal rates in an introductory undergraduate Physics course across several learning modes including traditional face-to-face instruction, synchronous video instruction, and online classes. Statistically significant differences were found for student failure rates, grade distribution, and withdrawal rates but yielded small effect sizes. Post-hoc pair-wise test was run to determine differences between learning modes. Online students had a significantly lower failure rate than students who took the class via synchronous video classroom. While statistically significant differences were found for grade distributions, the pair-wise comparison yielded no statistically significance differences between learning modes when using the more conservative Bonferroni correction in post-hoc testing. Finally, in this study, student withdrawal rates were lowest for students who took the class in person (in-person classroom and synchronous video classroom) than online. Students that persist in an online introductory Physics class are more likely to achieve an A than in other modes. However, the withdrawal rate is higher from online Physics courses. Further research is warranted to better understand the reasons for higher withdrawal rates in online courses. Finding the root cause to help eliminate differences in student performance across learning modes should remain a high priority for education researchers and the education community as a whole. 
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Most physics professors would agree that the lab experiences students have in introductory physics are central to the learning of the concepts in the course. It is also true that these physics labs require time and money for upkeep, not to mention the hours spent setting up and taking down labs. Virtual physics lab experiences can provide an alternative or supplement to these traditional hands-on labs. However, physics professors may be very hesitant to give up the hands-on labs, which have been such a central part of their courses, for a more cost and time-saving virtual alternative. Thus, it is important to investigate how the learning from these virtual experiences compares to that acquired through a hands-on experience. This study evaluated a comprehensive set of virtual labs for introductory level college physics courses and compared them to a hands-on physics lab experience. Each of the virtual labs contains everything a student needs to conduct a physics laboratory experiment, including: objectives, background theory, 3D simulation, brief video, data collection tools, pre- and postlab questions, and postlab quiz. This research was conducted with 224 students from two large universities and investigated the learning that occurred with students using the virtual labs either in a lab setting or as a supplement to hands-on labs versus a control group of students using the traditional hands-on labs only. Findings from both university settings showed the virtual labs to be as effective as the traditional hands-on physics labs. 
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The purpose of this study was to investigate value of combining Real Experimentation (RE) with Virtual Experimentation (VE) with respect to changes in students' conceptual understanding of electric circuits. To achieve this, a pre–post comparison study design was used that involved 88 undergraduate students. The participants were randomly assigned to an experimental (45 students) and a control group (43 students). Each group attended a one semester course in physics for preservice elementary school teachers. Both groups used the same inquiry-based curriculum materials. Participants in the control group used RE to conduct the study's experiments, whereas, participants in the experimental group used RE in the first part of the curriculum and VE in another part. Conceptual tests were administered to assess students' understanding of electric circuits before, during and after the teaching intervention. Results indicated that the combination of RE and VE enhanced students' conceptual understanding more than the use of RE alone. A further analysis showed that differences between groups on that part of the curriculum in which the experimental group used VE and the control group RE, in favour of VE. 
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The implementation of Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN) technology in a large on-campus course over several years is reviewed, and recent data concerning both educational and cost effectiveness are presented. Even with higher course standards for success, student performance on examinations has improved, a larger fraction of students achieve the goals of the class, and the proportion of students who excel has increased. Female students benefit even more than their male counterparts. The level of communication and interaction among students has also increased dramatically, with mostly positive (but some negative) effects. Data concerning cost effectiveness indicate that the technology can reduce costs, but perhaps more importantly, it can increase the quality of education without increasing costs. 
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