Does Inducing Students to Schedule Lecture Watching in Online Classes Improve Their Academic Performance? An Experimental Analysis of a Time Management Intervention
Baker, Rachel; Evans, Brent; Li, Qiujie; Cung, Bianca (2019). Research in Higher Education, v60 n4 p521-552. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1216401
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examining145Students, gradePS
Distance Learning Rapid Review
Review Details
Reviewed: June 2020
- Distance Learning Rapid Review (findings for Scheduling watching video lectures)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Final course grade |
Scheduling watching video lectures vs. (Not applicable) |
3 Weeks |
Full sample;
|
82.50 |
80.45 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 56% -
Race Asian 68% Black 2% Other or unknown 10% White 9% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 13%
Study Details
Setting
This study took place in an online undergraduate STEM course from a selective, public 4-year university. The course was lower division and required for the major, with calculus as a pre- or co-requisite. The course was offered over a 5-week period during the summer, and allowed students to earn the same amount of credits as the 10-week course offered during the academic year.
Study sample
The average age of participants was 20 years and 56 percent were female. Sixty-eight percent of the sample reported their race/ethnicity as Asian/Pacific Islander, with 13 percent reporting as Hispanic, 9 percent reporting as white, and 2 percent reporting as black. The remaining 10 percent indicated other or did not provide their race/ethnicity. The majority (71%) were in their sophomore year of college, and half (50%) were first generation college students.
Intervention Group
On the frst day of week one and week two, students in the intervention group received an email from the instructor with a link to an online scheduling survey asking them to schedule the day and time they would watch each of the video lectures for that week.
Comparison Group
On the first day of week one and week two, students in the comparison group received an email from the instructor asking them to respond to an online survey about how they watched the course lectures. In week one students were asked which web browser they used to access the course; in week two they were asked if they listened to the lecture using the computer’s speakers or using headphones.
Support for implementation
No support for implementation was described.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
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A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).