Dive Summary:
- Despite its promotion as a means to expand access to higher education to historically underrepresented students, a new study shows that practically every group of students performed worse in online courses than they did in face-to-face classes, Inside Higher Ed notes.
- The study, "Adaptability to Online Learning: Differences Across Types of Students and Academic Subject Areas," shows that some groups performed worse than others, namely men, black and Asian students, and students with weaker academic credentials.
- Older students were less likely to complete the courses, but performed better than traditional-aged students, and the researchers concluded that it would be more sensible to restrict online courses to students already performing well in traditional, face-to-face courses.
From the article:
Online education is often held out as a way to increase access to higher education, especially for those -- adult students, the academically underprepared, members of some minority groups -- who have historically been underrepresented in college. But that access is meaningful only if it leads somewhere, and if the education students get helps them reach their goals. ...