ERIC Number: EJ1457448
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1556-3847
Course Schedule and Course Pacing: Does It Affect Student Success in Online Asynchronous Courses?
Shannon Chapman Fredrick
Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, v27 n4 2024
Undergraduate students often indicate they prefer a flexible course schedule and pace when completing asynchronous online courses, often in an effort to balance their academic commitments with their personal and professional obligations. While students must focus on their time management skills when taking an online course, faculty often have control of both the course schedule and pace in which the student is able to move through the course. In a study conducted at a large, comprehensive public university, the author collected data to measure the relationship between student performance in an online asynchronous undergraduate course based on three different course learning models, each using varying course schedules and course pacing methods: instructor-regulated staggered release, instructor-regulated all-at-once release, and student-regulated all-at-once release. The quantitative study indicated insignificant differences between the median grades of each learning model, but concluded the distribution of lower grades was higher in the student-regulated, all-at-once course delivery option. This study suggests that providing increased levels of flexibility using different course scheduling and pacing options may not be beneficial for all students in the asynchronous online learning environment, yet not a significant difference to warrant the minimization of flexible course offerings.
Descriptors: School Schedules, Success, Electronic Learning, Asynchronous Communication, Correlation, Undergraduate Study, Flexible Scheduling, Time Factors (Learning), Instructional Effectiveness, Public Colleges
State University of West Georgia. 1601 Maple Street, Honors House, Carrollton, GA 30118. Tel: 678-839-5489; Fax: 678-839-0636; e-mail: distance@westga.edu; Web site: https://ojdla.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A