Evaluating distance learning in health informatics education

The purpose of this study was to compare academic performance between distance-learning and on-campus health informatics students. A quantitative causal-comparative research design was utilized, and academic performance was measured by final GPA scores and Registered Health Information Administrator certification exam scores. Differences in previous academic performance between the two groups were also determined by comparing overall admission GPA and math/science admission GPA. The researchers found no difference in academic performance between the two groups when final GPA scores and total certification scores were compared. However, there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in 4 of the 17 sub-domains of the certification examination, with the on-campus students scoring slightly higher than the distance students. Correlation studies were also performed, and the researchers found significant correlations between overall admission GPA, math/science admission GPA, final GPA, and certification scores.