Quantitative Analysis of Learner Performance in a Distance Educational Program

Abstract

Colleges and universities are using various distance learning (DL) formats for program and course delivery. Around the country, health education, including dental and dental hygiene training programs, are employing these types of program delivery models. University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), 35 undergraduate, and 12 graduate programs in the US use various forms of DL for degree completion (ADHA, 2006). Several programs, including Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC), offered their entire lecture classes in dental hygiene via distance technology. Interactive television (ITV) was the distance media used. From a program perspective, quantitative evaluation of student performance on benchmark assessments was necessary to identify if students located at a distance were performing statistically differently than students taking courses with an instructor using a traditional face-to-face format.

Three research questions were asked: a) Were there statistically significant differences in learner performance on the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)?; B) Were there statistically significant differences in learner performance when considering GPAs?; and C) Did statistically significant differences in performance exist relating to individual course grades? A longitudinal assessment for a 10-year period was conducted to answer these questions.

T-tests were used for data analysis. While examining benchmark data from a cumulative perspective, and year-by-year, no statistically significant differences were apparent for the NBDHE and GPAs. From a cumulative perspective, similar results were found for individual courses. Interactive Television (ITV) was considered effective for delivering education to learners if similar performance outcomes were the evaluation criteria.

Mixed results were identified when individual course data by year and course-by-course data were considered. These various mixed results identify potential future research.