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Abstract:
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Common features of blended courses include flipping the delivery of content, substantial reliance upon online resources, and using flexible approaches for class time schedules that may involve reduced seat time. Reductions in class time may be enforced or be at the students’ discretion. The focus of this study is upon the flexible component of a blended course in introductory statistics. In the course, lectures were only available online but all class periods were available to students for learning activities and demonstrations. The flexible component of the course was a policy of optional class attendance. Two possible influences stemming from the policy were examined. First, the prospective effect of attendance upon course performance was investigated to determine if students derived marginal value from attendance versus merely relying upon online content and traditional printed materials. Second, the prospective effect of attendance upon student evaluations of teaching was examined. Several items from the evaluations instrument were considered including understanding of concepts, critical thinking, and the overall course evaluation.
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