COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BLENDED FACE-TO-FACE AND HYBRID ONLINE PHYSICAL SCIENCE COURSES

This study compares pass/fail outcomes in blended face-to-face with online hybrid teaching methods for non-science major students enrolled in two physical science courses at Bowie State University (BSU), Results of a previous study, based on two years’ data only from fall 2010 through summer 2011 semesters [1] are compared with data for five more years, fall 2011 through summer 2016.. The outcome compared are pass rate (grade A, B, C) versus fail rate (grade D, F). The study summarizes students’ grade performance data, from fall 2010 to summer 2016, and includes additional parameter such as students’ major. The courses under the two teaching methods are offered with the same content: all course lecture materials and assessments posted online through the Blackboard learning management system. In the face-to-face instance, all tests and exams were also online. Students enrolled in either of the teaching methods are required to attend an in-person laboratory, the main difference being that those enrolled in the blended face-to-face courses also attend three 50 minute face-to-face lecture classes in a week. Courses are offered in all semesters and the enrollment capacity of blended face-to-face is a maximum of 30, while that of online hybrid classes is 70. The overall assessment of data, from all semesters across the last seven years, for pass and fail proportion of students, indicated a statistically significant difference between the two teaching methods, where the blended face-to-face had higher pass rates. In the previous, part I of this study, no significant difference was observed between teaching methods [1]. When the two courses are assessed separately, however, a significant difference between the teaching methods was observed only in the earth science course, where the outcome for blended face-to-face is better than online hybrid. Comparison based on four different majors (arts & sciences, business, professional studies, and education) showed significant differences between the two teaching methods for education majors enrolled in physical science course and the two courses combined, where performance is better in blended face-to-face than in the online hybrid. No significant difference was observed for the other three majors, as well as for all majors under earth science course. Comparison by gender, for both courses combined, showed a significant difference between the teaching methods, blended face-toface excelling online hybrid, again for both genders. Overall, students showed better performance under blended face–to-face than under online hybrid method. The major factor affecting this difference was the face-to-face lecture sessions given in the blended face-to-face course, but not in the hybrid online course. It was evident that the in-person lecture, given to students under blended face-to-face method, resulted in enhanced grade performance over the online hybrid courses.