1. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY THE EFFECT OF ONLINE LECTURE ON PERSISTENCE IN A PHYSICS CLASS Dr. John Stewart

2. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY ABSTRACT This talk will examine the difference in the rate students successfully complete a physics class between students attending lecture in person and students choosing to watch the lecture on video as part of an online class. The option to watch the lecture on video was implemented mid-semester in Fall 2012 so that the performance of the same set of students could be compared. A fully online lecture section was introduced in Spring 2013, but students were allowed to select the lecture viewing option. The online lecture section was continued in the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 semesters; however, students were no longer allowed the choice of lecture viewing option. Higher than expect withdrawal rates have been experienced in the online sections of the class. These will be examined in the context of the historical performance of the class and the differences in engagement in the class measured by the rate at which students submit required assignments.

3. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY CONTEXT

4. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY UNIVERSITY PHYSICS II The course studied is the second-semester, calculus-based, introductory physics class at the University of Arkansas. The class has been presented in the same format by the same lead instructor for over a decade. The course features interactive laboratories, excellent TA training, and has been a centerpiece of the Arkansas Physics Program and its PhysTEC site.

5. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY COURSE STRUCTURE (BEFORE ONLINE) Lecture was presented during two 50-minutes sessions each week with attendance managed with a lecture quiz. Two two-hour laboratory sessions were required each week involving hands-on activities, small group work, traditional experiments, and interactive demonstrations. Students were required to turn in open- response and multiple-choice homework before each lecture.

6. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY COURSE STRUCTURE (AFTER ONLINE) Online and Face-to-Face (f2f) lecture sections were offered both presenting the same 50 minute lecture twice a week. Online lecture sections used videos of the f2f lecture cut into 5-15 minute segments each accompanied by a lecture quiz question. The laboratory experience was unchanged. Students were required to turn in open-response homework after the last lab and multiple-choice homework before each lecture.

7. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY IN SHORT The class was virtually unchanged by the introduction of the online option except some students could watch the lecture on video.

8. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY THE PROBLEM

9. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY DFW RATES Students who receive a D or F after completing the class or withdraw with a W are required to retake the class to progress in toward their degree. The fraction of enrolled students receiving D, F, or W, the DFW rate, represents the fraction of students who have not successfully completed the class.

10. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY ONLINE STUDENTS FAIL AT HIGHER RATES

11. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY ONLINE STUDENTS ARE WEAKER, BUT THAT IS NOT THE EXPLANATION

12. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY ONLINE STUDENTS ARE WEAKER, BUT THAT IS NOT THE EXPLANATION

13. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY MAYBE ONLINE STUDENTS ARE YOUNGER

14. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY CLASS STANDING DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER

15. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY DF RATE WITHIN RANGE

16. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY THE WITHDRAWAL RATE IS NOT

17. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY MORE ONLINE STUDENTS ARE REPEATING THE CLASS

18. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY REPEATING STUDENTS ELECTING ONLINE SECTIONS

19. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY AND NOT SUCCEEDING

20. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY WHY DID YOU TAKE THE ONLINE CLASS? NABCDF The face-to-face lecture section was full and this was the only way I could get into the class.184440443350 There was another class I wanted to take at the same time as the lecture.1656354400 I had personal or work commitments that conflicted with the face-to-face lecture.2050330 I like the flexibility of an online class.7020113350 I think I learn better using online lectures than face-to-face lectures.000000 N 920932 Values in percent.

21. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY WOULD YOU SWITCH TO F2F IF YOU COULD? NABCDFAverage yes27446089675063 no16564011335037 Total N43920932 Values in percent.

22. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY PERSISTENCE OF “W” STUDENTS Tests Taken1234 Before Online (Fall 11-Spring 12) Normal88.2461.7635.290.00 After Online (Fall 13-Spring 14) Normal100.0073.3313.330.00 Online71.4338.109.520.00 Percentage of students taking the four tests.

23. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY COMPARE REPEATING STUDENTS Test Taken1234 Before Online - First Time Students Normal87.8860.6136.360.00 Before Online - Repeating Students Normal100.00 0.00 After Online - First Time Students Normal100.0078.5714.290.00 Online85.7157.1414.290.00 After Online - Repeating Students Normal100.000.00 Online42.860.00

24. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY SUCCESS RATE OF REPEATING STUDENTS Students Receiving A, B, C Fall 11-Spring 12TotalNon-OnlineOnline Total Enrollment463 Students Repeating11 Repeat Rate (%)2.38 Successful Repeats88 Success Rate (%)72.73 Fall 13-Spring 14 Total Enrollment595464131 Students Repeating21714 Repeat Rate (%)3.531.5110.69 Successful Repeats752 Success Rate (%)33.3371.4314.29

25. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY W RATE REPEATING STUDENTS Students Receiving W Fall 11-Spring 12TotalNon-OnlineOnline Total Enrollment463 Students Repeating11 Withdrawals11 Success Rate9.09 Fall 13-Spring 14 Total Enrollment595464131 Students Repeating21714 Withdrawals817 Success Rate38.1014.2950.00

26. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY NOT THE WHOLE PROBLEM DFW Rate Correcting for Repeat StudentsTotalOnline Total Enrollment595131 Original DFW Count10547 DFW Rate17.6535.88 Corrected DFW9840 Corrected Rate16.4730.53

27. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY ENGAGEMENT – STUDENTS NOT TAKING ANY TESTS CountNon-EngagedLow EngagedHigh Engaged Spring 2012 Normal401000 Normal-First Time401000 Normal-Repeat0 Spring 2014 Online580200 Normal0 Online - Repeat475250 Online-First Time110000 Non-Engaged=No assignments submitted. Low-Engaged= 50% of assignments submitted.

28. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY STUDENTS TAKING FIRST TEST WHO LATER WITHDREW Count Non-Engaged Percent Low Engaged Percent High Engaged Percent Spring 2012 Normal170694 Normal - First Time160694 Normal - Repeat100100 Spring 2014 Online1302377 Normal110991 Online-Repeat2050 Online-First Time1101882 Normal-Repeat100100 Normal-First Time100 90

29. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY CONCLUSION The replacement of face-to-face lecture with online lecture in a well-understood science class did not allow students repeating the class to succeed at the same rate as before the online option was made available.