Geological Engineering Commons^™

Collapse Of Pre-Covid-19 Differences In Performance In Online Vs. In-Person College Science Classes, And Continued Decline In Student Learning, Gregg R. Davidson, Hong Xiao, Kristin Davidson

Faculty and Student Publications

Abstract: Studies comparing student outcomes for online vs. in-person classes have reported mixed results, though with a majority finding that lower-performing students, on average, fare worse in online classes, attributed to the lack of built-in structure provided by in-person instruction. The online/in-person outcome disparity was normative for non-major geology classes at the University of Mississippi prior to COVID-19, but the difference disappeared in the years after 2020. Previously distinct trendlines of GPA-based predictions of earned-grade for online and in-person classes merged. Of particular concern, outcomes for in-person classes declined to match pre-COVID-19 online expectations, with lower-GPA students disproportionally impacted. Objective …