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A quantitative analysis of the performance, success, and demographic differences between Internet students and traditional classroom students
DISSERTATION

, The University of Texas at Arlington, United States

The University of Texas at Arlington . Awarded

Abstract

Students and faculty have reported satisfaction with course work presented through the Internet. However, little work has been done to determine if the Internet students are learning the material as well as the students in the traditional classroom. This paper will compare the learning of students taught in a community college in Texas that select Internet courses when traditional classes are available taught by the same instructor with similar students choosing the traditional classroom. Student performance is compared using six measures: pretest score, posttest score, gain score, final course grade, grade distribution, and drop rates. Student demographics of gender, age, and TASP scores are compared to determine demographic differences between the two groups.

Internet students showed significantly higher pretest scores and higher posttest scores, while traditional students posted higher gain scores. The average final numeric grade for Internet students was higher than the traditional students, but the letter grades were distributed differently between the two groups. Internet students had significantly higher drop rates than traditional students. Internet students were significantly older than the traditional student, and Internet classes contained significantly more women than traditional classes. The TASP scores were not significantly different between the two groups.

Citation

Messinger, J.N. A quantitative analysis of the performance, success, and demographic differences between Internet students and traditional classroom students. Ph.D. thesis, The University of Texas at Arlington. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from .

This record was imported from ProQuest on October 23, 2013. [Original Record]

Citation reproduced with permission of ProQuest LLC.

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Keywords