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Work Habits of Students in Traditional and Online Sections of an Introductory Physics Course: A Case Study

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Abstract

The study compares the work habits of two student groups in an introductory physics course, one in traditional and one in online sections. Both groups shared the same online materials and online homework, as well as the same discussion boards and examinations, but one group in addition had traditional lectures. The groups were compared with respect to amount and frequency of access to different online course resources. It was found that with few exceptions, both groups exhibited very similar work habits. Students in the online sections more frequently accessed content pages and more frequently contributed to course discussions. It was also found that regular access of the materials throughout the week, rather than only on homework deadline nights, is a predictor of success on examinations, and that this indicator is more reliable for students in the online sections. Overall, though, the effect of traditional lectures is minimal.

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Acknowledgments

Research was conducted under Michigan State University IRB#x15-639De. The author would like to thank the reviewers of this journal for their helpful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Gerd Kortemeyer

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  1. Gerd Kortemeyer
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Correspondence to Gerd Kortemeyer.

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Kortemeyer, G. Work Habits of Students in Traditional and Online Sections of an Introductory Physics Course: A Case Study. J Sci Educ Technol 25, 697–703 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9624-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9624-6

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