[4/15/19] Dr. Binbin Zheng - The effects of learner activity and course design on online high-school learners’ English Language and Literature learning outcomes

Post date: Apr 15, 2019 4:43:56 PM

Abstract: The number of K-12 students taking online courses has increased tremendously over the past few years, and this trend is ongoing. However, most research on online learning focuses either on comparing its overall effectiveness to that of traditional learning, or examining perceptions or interactions using self-reported data; and very few studies have looked into the relationships between the elements of K-12 online courses and their students’ learning outcomes. This study of 919 students enrolled in eight online high-school English language and literature courses, using hierarchical linear modeling and content analysis, found that project-based assignments and high-level knowledge activities were beneficial to learning outcomes, although not necessarily in the case of students who took these courses for credit-recovery purposes. Implications for both future research on predictors of online-learning success, and online course design practices, are also discussed.