An Investigation of Differences in Student Success and Persistence Rates by Course Modality

Abstract

Emporium courses have been offered as an option to reduce the amount of time students spend in developmental mathematics courses. This study investigated differences in achievement and persistence in mathematics by course modality for students enrolled in developmental mathematics at a suburban community college in the Northeast United States from fall 2015 through spring 2019. Statistically significant differences existed in final exam score and course grades by course level. For the upper two developmental mathematics courses, achievement measures in emporium courses were comparable to face-to-face courses. Thus, an emporium model that is designed to provide a semi-structured schedule, prompt feedback, and frequent interactions with tutors and faculty is a viable option for middle- and upper-level courses. The emporium modality did not appear to benefit students placed into the lowest level course (i.e., prealgebra) as grades and persistence rates were lower compared to face-to-face courses. Online course modality was not the best option across all course levels. The results of this study may have implications for post-secondary institutions that want to begin offering developmental mathematics courses in multiple modalities.