e-learning achievement: Trends, patterns and highlights Publications
Publication Details
This report presents a view of tertiary e-learning achievement from 2004 to 2009. This report compares completion rates in courses that are delivered with e-learning to those that are delivered by traditional methods. The report will also establish which of the e-learning delivery modes had higher and lower course completion rates. Finally, trends in course completion rates over time are discussed. Its key findings are:
- Face-to-face courses had higher completion rates than e-learning courses overall. But in some groups – full-time students, intramural students, university students and Asian students – there was little difference in the completion rates of e-learning and courses delivered by traditional methods.
- This finding for Asian students challenges much of the evidence from the wider research literature which finds that Asians do badly in e-learning because they are thought to favour more directive teaching styles.
- The other groups, polytechnic students, extramural students, part-time students, Māori and Pasifika, older students, and women had an advantage in face-to-face, paper-based delivery courses.
- Much of the research literature indicates that women do better than men in e-learning because e-learning requires greater self-management. But we find evidence for e-learning being relatively less advantageous for women.
Author(s): Peter Guiney, Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: March 2013
Executive Summary
Key Findings
Overall, No Access courses had higher completion rates on average than e-learning courses, once we adjust for differences in the level of provision. Web-Enhanced was the e-learning delivery mode with the highest course completion rate. There was a disadvantage in Web-Based courses.
Universities had higher e-learning course completion rates than polytechnics even when we adjust for course level. For universities, the No Access and e-learning course completion rates were comparable. But polytechnics, especially the smaller provincial ones, had a difference in favour of No Access. For universities, the e-learning course completion rates were comparable whatever the mode. But for polytechnics, there was an advantage in Web-Enhanced courses and a disadvantage in Web-Based courses.
Intramural students had higher achievement overall than extramural students. For intramural students the No Access and e-learning course completion rates were comparable, but for extramural students there was an advantage in No Access. Extramural students had a disadvantage in Web-Enhanced courses.
Full-time students had higher achievement overall than part-time students. For full-time students, the No Access and e-learning course completion rates were comparable, but for part-time students there was an advantage in No Access. Full-time and part-time students had their highest achievement in Web-Enhanced and lowest in Web-Based courses.
Females had higher achievement overall than males. Males had comparable No Access and e-learning course completion rates, but females had an advantage in No Access. Both males and females had their highest achievement in Web-Enhanced and a disadvantage in Web-Based courses.
Asians had higher achievement overall than the other ethnic groups. Asians and Europeans had comparable No Access and e-learning course completion rates, but Māori and Pasifika had an advantage in No Access.
Pasifika and Asian students had lower course completion rates in Web-Based courses. Pasifika and Māori had an advantage in Web-Enhanced courses.
The 18-19 years age group had higher achievement overall than the 40+ age group. The 18-19 years age group had comparable No Access and e-learning course completion rates, but the 40+ age group had an advantage in No Access courses. Both age groups had their lowest achievement in Web-Based courses.
The report challenges two widely accepted assumptions about achievement in e-learning. Firstly, many writers assume women do better in e-learning than men because e-learning requires greater self-management. But we find evidence for e-learning being relatively less advantageous for women. Secondly, it is widely assumed that people of Asian ethnicity do badly in e-learning courses; this is usually attributed to Asians being thought of as favouring more directive learning styles. Our study shows evidence of no disadvantage to Asians in e-learning.
One possible reason for the difference between our study and the predominant views in the literature is that ours is a system-wide study that compares e-learning to traditional delivery, whereas most studies are small-scale analyses without a robust point of reference and hence no statistical controls.
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