Comparison of Connectedness in Online, Blended, and Face-to-Face Research Methods Courses among Hispanic and Low-Income Students

Abstract


 
 
 When students feel connected to the instructor, they are more likely to remain motivated, engaged, and persist toward completing an online course. Rarely have studies compared connectedness in three modalities: online only, blended, and face-to-face. This study compared perceptions of connectedness among students (N = 27) from an Hispanic Serving Institution with their instructor and peers in a research methods course. The sample of students took the same course in three different sections- each taught in a different modality by the same white instructor. Connectedness and students’ grades were lower for students who took the course fully online. However, student ratings of teachings were highest for those who took the online-only section. Latinx students reported less connectedness in the online-only section than others. The results inform decisions about teaching modalities during the pandemic and in the future; synchronous learning is critical to obtain equitable connectedness among Latinx students.
 
 

Student Performance in Four Teaching Modalities and Covid-19 in a Research Course at a Hispanic Serving Institution

“…Most of the studies conducted on this topic occurred in the state of California, which has many HSIs and large Hispanic population. In a novel study of a research methods course comparing students' grades in a synchronous face-to-face synchronous course, an online asynchronous course, and blended face-to-face synchronous and online asynchronous course, Latino students' grades were the lowest in the asynchronous online only course (Linton et al, 2021). Kraupp (2012) found that, Latino students receiving online asynchronous instruction at the California Community College System experienced a nine-percentage point lower success rate, grades that averaged two-tenths of a grade point lower, and withdrawal rates over twice as high as compared to Latino students in face-to-face synchronous sections.…”