Date of Award

Spring 5-2021

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Department/Major

Biology

First Advisor

Scott Druecker

Second Advisor

Shane Nordyke

Third Advisor

Stephen Bambas

Keywords

University of South Dakota, Face-to-Face vs. Online Student Performance, Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology (PHGY 220)

Subject Categories

Adult and Continuing Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Online and Distance Education | Science and Mathematics Education

Abstract

As technology evolves, so does the integration of online alternatives to face-to-face learning within institutions of higher education. The growth of the virtual education platform has led many researchers to wonder if it is equivalent to traditional teaching methods. While the idea of whether or not a performance gap exists between different modalities of the same course is well-researched, the results vary. As such, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between delivery method (face-to-face or online) and final grade while controlling for the variables of instructor, gender, ethnicity, and ACT score. The data included final grade percentages and demographic information for students completing multiple online and face-to-face sections of PHGY 220 either at the University of South Dakota Community College of Sioux Falls or the Vermillion main campus. Analysis of the main research question used a linear regression model. Overall, the model was statistically significant and provided evidence of a statistically significant relationship between delivery method and final grade when controlling for instructor, gender, ethnicity, and ACT score.

KEYWORDS: Modality equivalence, Anatomy and Physiology, Demographics

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