The statistics education community continues to explore the differences in
performance outcomes and in student attitudes between online and face-to-face
delivery methods of statistics courses. In this quasi-experimental study student
persistence, exam, quiz, and homework scores were compared between delivery
methods, class status, and programs of study for students enrolled in an
undergraduate introductory statistics course. Student persistence and homework
grades were significantly different for course delivery method. Anxiety levels,
measured using the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS), were compared
between delivery methods, programs of study, and gender. One anxiety
subscale—Test & Class Anxiety—was significantly different between delivery
methods and genders. Implications and suggestions for further study are offered
based on the study results.
The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education