Students perform similarly in the same pair and online, research finds

It doesn’t matter whether students attend lectures in person, stream them, or watch them later for academic performance. The key is that they can make choices for themselves and participate actively. This is demonstrated by studies at Tilburg University and Radboud University.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, almost all universities and universities have been considering whether to offer online education in addition to physical lectures. Both forms gave me ample experience to know the pros and cons. However, one aspect has not yet been investigated. Whether the form of education affects research results. Ken van den Ober, a researcher at the University of Tilburg, considered this with Stephanie Kornnief of Ladbou University.

They carefully examined the organization and environmental courses of the Bachelor of Business Administration program at Radboud University. Students had a choice. Attend a lecture at university, watch it on a live stream, and watch the lecture recording. The way in which students attended lectures did not appear to have an impact on the quality of education and research results. All students achieved comparable results.

Research Design

Van Den Ober explains the design of his research as follows: “During the exam, students were given three exam questions per lecture. They had shown in advance how they followed each lecture, physically through a live stream, in the lecture hall, or by looking at the following web lectures.

“Students sometimes physically attended one lecture and followed another via live streams, allowing them to compare the best methods for each student. This variation within the individual made the analysis even more valuable.”

Making choices seems like an important factor. For example, especially during the current housing crisis, education is more accessible for students with disabilities and those who have to travel long journeys. Another factor that played a role was the fact that teachers actively involved online students in lectures using tools such as chat boxes and online quizzes.

However, Kornieff also realizes that there is a reason to visit campus. “University is an environment in which knowledge is developed and lifelong friendships are formed, it is not just about studying (and being a student!), it is about attending lectures, it is therefore clear value in the physical presence of the university.

“Physical beings also provide opportunities to promote social cohesion between students and students. At the same time, we do not believe that providing physical lectures will automatically create social cohesion. Yes, we can increase attendance in the lecture hall, but all students can attend classes in person.”

Invest in flexible education

Researchers advise universities to invest in flexible education. Kornieff said, “Universities and society are placing increasingly high demands on recent graduates. A degree alone is no longer sufficient. Ideally, students have already gained relevant work experience during their studies (for example, through internships), spent time abroad, gained management experience, and developed some degree of entrepreneurship.

“This all comes in addition to part-time jobs to study and pay for living, and sometimes you have to travel long distances to college as a result of the housing crisis.

“As teachers, policymakers and universities, we must be considerately about how we organize education so that students are actually given space to meet these expectations. Flexible education can play an important role in this, not only benefiting students, but also providing practical benefits such as a lack of universities.

“Therefore, this study would like to begin discussions on how education is delivered. Many innovative forms of education have been abandoned since the 19 pandemics.