Online vs. lecture classes student success rate: report

The HFC Office of Institutional Research and Reporting recently published a study called 100% Online vs. Lecture Course Success (PDF file).

Executive summary

To measure the success of online coursework, a comparison was performed between two types of courses: 100% online and lecture. This led to an analysis of term-to-term enrollment shifts and an examination of student achievement for the same course types. The courses covered were from the Fall 2017 and Winter 2018 semesters. Each course had at least one section that ran as 100% online and one that ran as lecture in an entire semester.

Completion rate

According to this study, courses offered as lecture had a larger average successful completion rate (79%) than those offered as 100% online (71%) with a smaller standard deviation (8, 13). These results are statistically significant (p=0.006).

Steps to improve successful completion rates (e.g., course offerings, course development, instructor and/or student training, etc.) could be pursued based on a combination of what success rate is deemed acceptable, and an evaluation of why the disparity between 100% online and lecture courses exists.

To address the issue of student achievement at the course level, grade point averages (GPA) were compared for students who completed a course of either type, excluding the grades of: Drop (DR), Withdraw (W), Incomplete (I), and Never Attended (NA).

Achievement rate

Both groups share a mean GPA value that is between a B- and a B (2.8). Both groups’ standard deviation from that mean ranges from between the D+/C- range (1.5/1.6) to the A/A+ range (4.0/4.1). Although this result was not statistically significant, identical means and standard deviations, through this lens, suggest no difference in student achievement based on course type.

Keeping in mind that a letter grade of C is the minimum for successful course completion in this study, students who completed a course under either instructional method, on average, received between a D+ and an A+. Practically speaking, an examination of course completion rates may not be preeminent when having a conversation about access to education and student achievement (persistence, retention, and completion of a certificate or degree).

Future research

Future research should examine whether online course offerings make course attempts and completions more accessible. If so, how does that accessibility influence retention and completion of a certificate or associate degree? Are certain courses better offered online vs. lecture than others? Finally, what best practices and procedures could raise the level of achievement for students in online courses?

Questions about this report should be referred to Rick Michalski at remichalski@hfcc.edu.