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Effect of Assignment Choice on Student Academic Performance in an Online Class
Hannah MacNaul1,2, Rachel Garcia2, Catia Cividini-Motta2
1Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78207 USA.
Behavior Analysis in Practice
|March 8, 2021
Summary
Assignment choice in online courses can boost engagement and outcomes. This study found no significant academic differences between flash cards and study guides, despite simplified procedures.
Area of Science:
- Educational Technology
- Online Learning
- Student Engagement
Background:
- Previous research indicates assignment choice enhances student engagement, academic outcomes, and satisfaction in higher education.
- However, assignment choice has previously led to complex instructor procedures and increased workload.
- This study addresses these challenges by employing simplified procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of assignment choice on academic outcomes in an online course.
- To compare the effectiveness of two distinct assignment options: flash cards and a study guide.
- To investigate if simplified choice procedures influence graduate student academic performance.
Main Methods:
- A repeated-measures, alternating-treatments design was utilized.
- The study involved 42 graduate students in an online, asynchronous course.
- Academic outcomes were assessed for conditions involving flash card assignments and study guide assignments.
Main Results:
- Slight differences in academic outcomes were observed between the flash card and study guide conditions.
- These observed differences between the assignment choice conditions were not statistically significant.
- The simplified procedures did not yield statistically significant variations in student academic outcomes.
Conclusions:
- While assignment choice is generally beneficial, this study found no significant academic advantage of flash cards over study guides in an online graduate course.
- Simplified procedures for assignment choice may not inherently lead to statistically significant differences in academic outcomes.
- Further research is needed to explore the nuances of assignment choice and its impact on diverse student populations and learning environments.
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