Internet Learning Volume 7, Number 1 • 2018/2019 | Page 12

Assessing the Effect of Course Materials Type on Undergraduate Student Performance in an Online Setting Figure 1. A nonsignificant but interesting relationship was found between course materials type (electronic course materials =0, physical course materials =1) and percentage of gradebook completed Discussion This study examined the relationship between course materials type (e.g., electronic or physical) and student performance in an introductory level, general education, online course serving adult learners. Compared with other studies of course materials and performance in college settings, this study uniquely focused on students who have chosen to learn in a fully virtual environment, potentially playing a role in their ability to effectively consume and retain content presented in electronic materials. As adult learners in an online setting, these students are accustomed to self-direction and electronic, asynchronous course environments in which the majority of content is accessed onscreen. Students in this population may be acclimated to screen reading and may adjust their reading strategies accordingly. Research on adult learners indicates that students benefit from assessments in which they can apply reading to their own experience (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold, 2016; Marschall & Davis, 2012); thus, the blend of formative and summative assessments in this online course may contribute to the reading strategies employed, regardless of the text medium. 9