Is Online Course Recovery Successful? Studies Say…
If your student needs to retake a course, you have likely heard about “online credit recovery” or “online recovery course” options. The student can watch a series of videos designed to help them pass the course that’s required for high school graduation. A great solution!
…or is it?
Studies over the last few years suggest online course recovery programs may not be as successful as many parents believe them to be.
Online Course Recovery: What the Data Reveals
A 2017 study found: “in the short term, face-to-face credit-recovery instruction is better for students than the online type” (Education Week). Furthermore, the researchers strongly encourage parents to consider the structure of the course recovery program, its implementation, and the individual student’s social-emotional needs.
Another recent study done by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research found: “more students in the face-to-face courses earned passing grades and scored higher in end-of-course assessments than learners doing their studies strictly online” (THE Journal).
In 2018, researchers from Vanderbilt University and University of Wisconsin-Madison analyzed data of “more than five million records of more than 30,000 online instructional sessions across three years” (Scholars Strategy Network). Among other findings, they reported, “We found no positive associations between online course-taking and overall student achievement in math and reading scores, credits earned, or grade point averages.”
Though many academics do not argue the internet is inherently ineffective as an access point for learning, general instruction delivered in a non-personal online format appears to offer lackluster results for many students. The solution? Individualized, one-on-one instruction – either in-person or virtually.
In-Person and 1-on-1 Video Course Recovery
At Learning Lab, instructors offer both in-person and one-on-one course recovery options that are always taught in real-time. These course recovery programs are individually tailored to the student and offer a superior option to generalized online options, which cannot be customized to address students’ specific needs.
