Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities | Ithaka S+R Skip to Main Content Our work Publications Blog People About Contact us Our work Publications Blog People Events Email Updates About Contact us Careers Research Report May 22, 2012 Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities Evidence from Randomized Trials William G. Bowen, Kelly A. Lack, Matthew Chingos, Thomas I. Nygren DOI: https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.22464 Topics: Teaching with technology Tags: Public universities Download PDF Cite this item Online learning is quickly gaining in importance in U.S. higher education, but little rigorous evidence exists as to its effect on student learning outcomes. In “Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities: Evidence from Randomized Trials,” we measure the effect on learning outcomes of a prototypical interactive learning online (ILO) statistics course by randomly assigning students on six public university campuses to take the course in a hybrid format (with machine-guided instruction accompanied by one hour of face-to-face instruction each week) or a traditional format (as it is usually offered by their campus, typically with 3-4 hours of face-to-face instruction each week). We find that learning outcomes are essentially the same—that students in the hybrid format “pay no price” for this mode of instruction in terms of pass rates, final exam scores, and performance on a standardized assessment of statistical literacy. These zero-difference coefficients are precisely estimated. We also conduct speculative cost simulations and find that adopting hybrid models of instruction in large introductory courses have the potential to significantly reduce instructor compensation costs in the long run. Supporting Materials Research Protocols (PDF) Data Collection Instruments (PDF) Tools “The Interactive Online Learning at Public Universities” Cost Simulation Macro file is available to accompany Appendix B. Copyright 2014 Ithaka S+R. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial 4.0 International License License. To view a copy of the license, please see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. ITHAKA is interested in disseminating this report as widely as possible. Download PDF Cite this item × Copy Citation MLA Bowen, William G., et al. "Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities: Evidence from Randomized Trials." Ithaka S+R. Ithaka S+R. 22 May 2012. Web. 28 November 2020. https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.22464 Copy APA Bowen, W. G., Lack, K. A., Chingos, M., & Nygren, T. I. (2012, May 22). Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities: Evidence from Randomized Trials. https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.22464 Copy CHICAGO Bowen, William G., Kelly A. Lack, Matthew Chingos, and Thomas I. Nygre. "Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities: Evidence from Randomized Trials." Ithaka S+R. Last Modified 22 May 2012. https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.22464. Copy William G. Bowen President Emeritus, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and President Emeritus, Princeton University Related Content Blog Post October 22, 2020 Student and Faculty Voices on the Emergency Shift to Remote Learning Research Report October 22, 2020 Student and Faculty Experiences with Emergency Remote Learning in Spring 2020 Blog Post October 19, 2020 Increasing Access to Quality Educational Resources to Support Higher Education in Prison Research Report October 13, 2020 How to Support and Lead the Urgent Transition to Quality Online Learning in Intro Math Blog Post August 17, 2020 Teaching with Cultural Heritage Online During the Pandemic Collaborate with us We work with universities and colleges, libraries, publishers, cultural institutions, and foundations. Contact us to get started Ithaka S+R helps academic and cultural communities serve the public good and navigate economic, technological, and demographic change. Our work also aims to broaden access to higher education by reducing costs and improving student outcomes. Our work Publications About Contact us In the News Blog People Careers Events Newsletters Email Updates Twitter LinkedIn Ithaka S+R is part of ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization helping the academic community use digital technologies to preserve the scholarly record and to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways. ©2000-2020 ITHAKA. All Rights Reserved. 6 East 32nd Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10016 212.500.2355 ithakasr@ithaka.org Privacy Policy Cookie Policy