A look at student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to use self-reported publicly available student assessment data from the time period when there was an abrupt change in instructional method at the start of COVID-19 to assess potential for differences as a result of course delivery mode. Design/methodology/approach A general linear model using 837 student evaluations from 191 US public higher education institutions investigates the impact on student performance and how performance was related to a number of covariates, namely, online experience of instructor prior to shut downs, discipline of study and size of institution. Findings The analysis finds an overall grade point average (GPA) increase of 0.10 (out of 4.0) associated with the shift away from face-to-face instruction. In exploring potential covariates, only institutional size was significant in explaining this increase in GPA. This supports the notion that despite hardships inherent with the abrupt switch to online education across the country that student grades as a whole did not suffer. Research limitations/implications The source of data was self-reported. In addition, GPA is an imperfect measure of student learning. Despite this, because GPA is highly correlated with student satisfaction, retention and matriculation, it is relevant. Practical implications This study suggests that the rapid transition to online instruction did not negatively impact student performance and may have marginally increased these marks. These findings were cross-disciplinary and not influenced by the instructor’s prior online teaching experience. These findings support the idea that institutions and instructors should be more willing to use a variety of delivery modes going forward. Originality/value The data set used is uniquely large and varied in the number of institutions, professors, students and discipline. The COVID-19-induced transition from largely in-class instruction to mostly online or remote instruction allowed for a natural experiment that eliminates the sample selection problem associated with most other instructional method comparison studies.

The Impact of Online Learning Strategies on Students’ Academic Performance: A Systematic Literature Review

“…This statement is further supported by Broadbent (2017), wherein students saw an improvement in their final grades following the implementation of an online learning setup. Moreover, the same case occurred in the United States wherein students' GPA improved by 0.10 during the pandemic (Cavanaugh et al, 2022). The same results were also seen in China: students' mean average grades improved during the pandemic (Zhao et al, 2022).…”

“…His findings illustrate the positive impacts of virtual learning on the academic performance of students in aspects like increased self-directed learning, improved attitudes, improved motivation, and better academic results. Another found that student performance during the pandemic varied by course level and instructional mode, with some students experiencing academic loss and others experiencing academic gain (Cavanaugh et al, 2022). Afghan students' academic performance and satisfaction with online teaching were found to be negatively impacted by the pandemic (Hashemi, 2021).…”

“Burnout felt inevitable”: Experiences of university staff in educating the nursing and allied health workforce during the first COVID-19 waves

“…Online teaching methods have been shown to work well for content that is usually delivered in lectures or classroom sessions. One US study, which included 837 student evaluations from 191 public higher education institutions, found that the rapid transition to online instruction in 2020 did not negatively impact student performance and may have marginally increased these marks ( 29 ). It is worth noting, however, that no health professional degrees were included in the sample.…”

Exploring educational impacts among pre, during and post COVID-19 lockdowns from students with different personality traits

“…Others who preferred the face-to-face teaching delivery process may get bored easily in learning and struggled to work consistently (Limniou, 2021 ). Cavanaugh et al investigated the impact on student performance during pandemics from 191 public higher education institutions in USA, and they found that the overall grade point average was even increased by 0.10 (out of 4.0), and they believed that the student grades as a whole did not suffer from the difficulties of learning during pandemics (Cavanaugh, 2023 ).…”