Study pace reveals differences in online learning using R-squared analysis

Michael A. Kolitsky

Abstract

Highly-enrolled fully online lectures and laboratory classes in Anatomy and Physiology, and higher-level Histology courses, were used to calculate R-squared values that could be linked to how the study method chosen by students impacted their exam grades. Student performance on major exams containing only T/F and multiple-choice questions exhibited better exam results, as did the R-squared values for those who studied using tiny quizzes at a slow pace rather than those who studied with them at a fast pace, indicating that learning was done using the flashcard method. There was a difference in grade distribution, with a peak in the A category for the slow pace quiz group, to a peak in the B category for the fast pace group. The use of Respondus with Blackboard also permitted video observation of students following the submission of exams, which did not indicate that any major cheating efforts or use of AI had taken place during major exams. The lack of evidence for cheating or AI usage makes the observation of higher R-squared values from the slow-paced quiz method a significant factor in future online course design.

Keywords: retrieval practice, R-squared, Tiny Quizzes, online learning, grade distribution

References

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