Online Learning Efficacy Research Database

Before arriving in a host country, international students may be motivated to complete some institutional requirements online. Many studies address computer-assisted instruction for second-language students, but few focus on fully online English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing courses. This comparative case study, grounded in action research, examined the extent to which a fully online version of a graduate-level EAP course offered to international students at a North American university achieved comparable outcomes to a face-to-face version. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of study participants’ performance and course evaluations indicated that the outcomes and student satisfaction of both cohorts were comparable. However, an examination of the participants’ final research papers and online interactions revealed differences and challenges. Based on these findings, it is recommended that future online courses provide more instruction on source integration, library research, and building an interactive learning community. Overall, the findings suggest that when carefully designed, assessed, and refined, fully online courses hold strong promise in EAP academic writing contexts. 
[less]

Electronic learning introduces a teaching device for deeper and more efficient learning. A study was conducted by the Pathology Department of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The topic of practical pathology was selected earlier based on the curriculum. High-quality digital images of the slides were presented in the form of an e-file. The medical students were asked to register for participation in conventional or virtual groups. The first group underwent traditional education and members of the virtual group were given the website address to click into the website where the materials were uploaded. At the end of the semester, both groups were scientifically evaluated. The mean final pathology exam grade in the virtual group was higher than that of the control group; however, the difference between groups was not statistically significant (P=0.658). In conclusion, it was observed that in teaching practical pathology, virtual education may be as effective as conventional method. 
[less]

The following study contrasts the efficacy of online delivery relative to face-to-face delivery using an enrolment protocol that largely eliminates self-selection bias. Only a few previous studies even attempt to control for sample selection. The study utilizes random assignment of the registrants of a Principles of Macroeconomics class into two alternative venues: online and face-to-face. The same professor taught both sections with the same course objectives and exams. Both the change in student scores from the pre-test to the post-test and the student’s exam average are model led as a function of the course environment, the student’s SAT math score (or ACT equivalent), the student’s GPA prior to taking the course, the student’s gender and the student’s overall credit hours prior to taking the course. The pre- and post-test had both standardized and instructor-specific questions. Students in the face-to-face section have statistically significantly higher exam scores and statistically significantly greater improvement on the post-test instructor questions. There is no statistical difference in the improvement on the post-test overall nor in the improvement in the post-test standardized questions. These mixed results suggest that both course objectives and the mechanism used to assess the relative effectiveness of the two modes of education may play an important part in determining the relative effectiveness of alternative delivery methods. 
[less]

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. 
[less]

Research has suggested that learning approaches such as blended learning can enhance both the quality of instruction and student learning outcomes in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) education. However, little is known about how such instructional approaches affect learning outcomes in the context of Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) pre-university science students. The present study focused on a college Mechanics course at a CEGEP that used blended learning, and compared the affects of the two learning modes (blended versus traditional) on student academic performance. Overall, the study revealed that students in the blended classroom (treatment) experienced more conceptual change and higher performance compared to the students in the traditional lecture-based class (control group). The findings offer support for the push to implement alternative approaches to instruction such as blended learning. Moreover, the study also improves understanding of the affects of approaches such as blended learning on understudied samples such as CEGEPs. 
[less]

The education community has conducted studies on failure rates and withdrawal rates between learning modalities in the past, but few studies have evaluated grade distribution between learning modes or focused specifically on English Composition. Using 2,919 student grades from the 2015 – 2016 academic year for an English Composition course, researchers examined failure rates, grade distribution, and withdrawal rates between In-Person learning, Online learning, and Synchronous video learning modes. In this study, learning modes and failure rates were related. Synchronous video modes of instruction had higher failure rates than traditional In-Person classes. Synchronous video classroom students failed at a higher rate than online students. Grade distributions showed significant differences based on learning mode. In-Person students earned more Bs and fewer Cs, Ds, and Fs than Online and synchronous video classroom students. In-Person students also withdrew at a significantly lower rate than online students. With these findings, we suggest that finding the root cause and alleviating the differences in student performance across learning modes should be a high priority for the educational community. 
[less]

Objective:
Student satisfaction and student performance are of primary concern when classroom pedagogy is changed. We determine the equivalence of two teaching methodologies in a clinical microbiology course using test scores as the measure of student performance.
Methods:
The two teaching methodologies examined were a traditional lecture-based method face-to-face (F2F) method and an inverted classroom method (ICM). Student perceptions of the ICM method were measured using a course survey in which students were asked to compare their experiences in the ICM class with experiences in a traditional F2F class. Classroom exams were administered in the same way in the traditional F2F lecture and ICM courses. Student test averages obtained in both pedagogies were compared for equivalence using an independent samples t-test. A six-question survey was developed to assess student perception of the ICM classroom compared to that for the traditional lecture-based classroom.
Results:
Test performance of students in the ICM was equivalent to that of students receiving traditional F2F lectures. Mean difference between test scores for the ICM and traditional F2F groups was 1.9 points (95% confidence interval [CI],4.0–0.14). Survey responses indicated that respondents feel positively about self-learning in ICM and prefer the flexibility provided by ICM.
Conclusion:
This study provides evidence that the ICM method of teaching clinical microbiology can replace the traditional F2F method without loss of student performance. Respondent perceptions of the inverted classroom were positive, with students favoring the flexibility. 
[less]

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of web-facilitated and hybrid course delivery formats on student learning outcomes for four sections of an undergraduate Personal Health course at a public institution. This is a quasi-experimental study. Two sections were taught as hybrid classes and two sections were taught as web-facilitated classes. A total of 181 undergraduate students from across the university participated in the study. Student learning outcomes were measured by comparing quiz scores and final course grade. Instructor evaluation ratings were also compared. Results indicate that student-learning gains were similar regardless of delivery format. There were no significant differences in objective quiz scores or final grade between the delivery formats. The instructor mean evaluation score was significantly higher for the web-facilitated format. Although the students’ performance is comparable in both delivery formats students prefer web-facilitated courses with more face-to-face interactions with the instructor to hybrid courses. Examining student technological capabilities and motivation in web-facilitated and hybrid courses is necessary to improve evaluations. 
[less]

While the equivalence between online and traditional classrooms has been well researched, very little effort has been expended to do such comparisons for college level introductory chemistry. The existing literature has only one study that investigated chemistry lectures at an entire course level as opposed to particular course components such as individual topics or exams. Regarding lab courses, only one study is available and it involves moderating variables that are largely uncontrolled. In this work, we compared the student pass rates, withdrawal rates, and grade distributions between asynchronous online and traditional formats of an introductory chemistry lecture as well as its associated lab course. The study was based on the 823 university records available for the 2015–2016 academic year. Student pass and withdrawal rates between the two modes were quite similar and did not appear to be statistically significant. However, grade distributions for both the lecture and lab differed between the two learning modes, showing significant statistical associations. Online students were more likely to earn As in both lecture and lab while traditional in-person students were more likely to earn Cs or Ds. Further research should include replication of this study with a larger data set. Additionally, this study should be repeated in three to five years to determine if advances in course design, standardization and delivery platforms further reduce or eliminate differences between learning modes. Future studies should also use qualitative tools for a better understanding of why students fail or withdraw from courses. 
[less]

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. 
[less]