Jakob Schwerter , Thomas Dimpfl , Johannes Bleher , Kou Murayama
{"title":"Benefits of additional online practice opportunities in higher education","authors":"Jakob Schwerter , Thomas Dimpfl , Johannes Bleher , Kou Murayama","doi":"10.1016/j.iheduc.2021.100834","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Are exam grades predetermined by students' prior performance and personal characteristics, or can underperforming students catch up? We evaluate whether additional e-learning practice opportunities improve learning outcomes for a group of undergraduate business students enrolled in a university math course (<em>N</em> = 281). During the semester, students were offered two types of voluntary additional e-learning practice opportunities (some earned extra credit, others did not). These practice opportunities incorporated the study techniques of self-testing and spacing, as well as knowledge of correct responses feedback. After controlling for a large number of personal characteristics, we find that voluntary practice has a statistically significant effect on exam performance, which indicates that practicing leads to better grades. Our results show that students currently performing at any level can improve their learning outcomes through additional practice. Furthermore, the overall effect is most significant for weak students who would otherwise be expected to score low on the exam.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48186,"journal":{"name":"Internet and Higher Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.4000,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"7","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Internet and Higher Education","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1096751621000439","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 7
Abstract
Are exam grades predetermined by students' prior performance and personal characteristics, or can underperforming students catch up? We evaluate whether additional e-learning practice opportunities improve learning outcomes for a group of undergraduate business students enrolled in a university math course (N = 281). During the semester, students were offered two types of voluntary additional e-learning practice opportunities (some earned extra credit, others did not). These practice opportunities incorporated the study techniques of self-testing and spacing, as well as knowledge of correct responses feedback. After controlling for a large number of personal characteristics, we find that voluntary practice has a statistically significant effect on exam performance, which indicates that practicing leads to better grades. Our results show that students currently performing at any level can improve their learning outcomes through additional practice. Furthermore, the overall effect is most significant for weak students who would otherwise be expected to score low on the exam.
期刊介绍:
The Internet and Higher Education is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal focused on contemporary issues and future trends in online learning, teaching, and administration within post-secondary education. It welcomes contributions from diverse academic disciplines worldwide and provides a platform for theory papers, research studies, critical essays, editorials, reviews, case studies, and social commentary.