Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

Research in the area of amount of time spent on assignments and effect on course performance has focused exclusively either on the lecture or online format, but not comparison of the two. Nowhere has both modes of delivery been studied using an objective measure of course involvement. This study examines what is most significant in predicting a student's course grade: is it the method of delivery or the amount of time spent on graded assignments, and does the amount of time devoted to these assignments differ for online versus lecture presentations? The assignments were identical and tied to the textbook's online learning management system, which records the amount of time spent on assignments. This information, along with the method of delivery and eventual course grade was recorded. The student's cumulative GPA just prior to enrolling in the class was also researched in order to control for student aptitude. Two significant independent variables were found to have a positive effect upon student success: GPA and total time devoted to assignments. Students entering the course with higher GPAs earn higher grades. Furthermore, those that spend more time on assignments have better outcomes. The mode of presentation had no significant effect on performance.

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert