How does choosing to attend lectures online or in person affect grades?

What was the overall relationship between lecture attendance modes and final exam grades in this study?

There was essentially no overall difference in exam performance between the different delivery modes. Students who watched recordings, attended online live, or attended on campus performed similarly.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What performance pattern was observed in students who frequently switched between different attendance modes?

Students who did not clearly settle into one attendance mode (such as attending live lectures 50% of the time) had statistically significantly worse exam grades, although the difference was very small.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

How did the exam grades of students who skipped lectures altogether compare to the overall average?

The average exam grade of students who reported skipping lectures completely was essentially indistinguishable from the overall average of all students.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI

What effect does live lecture attendance have on student performance in interactive-engagement courses?

For students in the lower performance quartile, live attendance of interactive-engagement courses is associated with significantly higher exam grades.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

Which student learning attribute had the strongest correlation with actual exam grades and satisfaction?

The perceived ability to explain the course material to others (peer-teaching) was strongly correlated with exam performance and satisfaction.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI

What gender differences were observed in how students estimated their exam performance?

Women tended to underestimate their exam performance, whereas men tended to overestimate their performance, despite there being only a minimal difference in actual grades.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What was the most frequently cited reason by students for not attending live lectures on campus?

The most frequently named reason was that avoiding live lectures was more practical time-wise, followed closely by the belief that they could learn better that way.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

How did double-booking affect lecture attendance at ETH Zurich?

The enrollment system allowed students to register for conflicting courses without penalty, leading many to voluntarily double-book and watch recordings later.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What peculiar feature of the exam system at ETH Zurich separates it from many other universities?

Exams are separate from their courses both administratively and in time, meaning students can take exams in a later semester without re-enrolling.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

Why do delayed exams (off-semester exams) lead some students to watch lectures in binge mode?

Students postpone watching lectures until the semester of the exam to prevent forgetting the material by the time the high-stakes test occurs.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

Why do some students prefer to binge-watch lectures instead of watching them weekly?

Some students reported that watching all lectures back-to-back in a short time frame helped them see connections within the material better.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What playback manipulation behavior was observed in students who felt a lecture was too slow?

Students would watch the recording at a higher speed (PlayFaster), which was associated with slightly higher exam grades than average.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

According to student comments, why did some find playing lecture videos faster beneficial for concentration?

They reported that the faster pace kept their minds from drifting off, making it easier to stay focused.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What negative side effect of lecture hall environments was mentioned by students with medical conditions like ADHD?

The lecture hall setting was described as highly distracting, making it difficult to concentrate compared to studying in a quiet home environment.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

How did intensive laboratory or design projects impact students' lecture attendance?

Demanding projects took up so much time during the semester that students prioritized them over attending scheduled live lectures.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What percentage of students who predominantly watched recordings said they would recommend that same study choice to others?

Approximately 70.8% of those students would recommend relying solely on recordings.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What correlation was found between attending lectures on-site and studying in groups?

There was a weak positive correlation, indicating that students who came to campus were more likely to study in groups.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What is the relationship between students' prior interest in a topic and their attendance mode?

Students with a higher prior interest in the topic were weakly more likely to attend lectures on campus.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

Why did some students report avoiding campus due to the behaviors of their peers (the 'AloneCampus' phenomenon)?

Some students avoided lectures because they felt depressed when they arrived on campus and found that few other students were attending.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

How did financial and housing challenges in Zurich influence student attendance choices during the study period?

High living costs forced some students to move back with parents far from campus, making long commutes a barrier to attending early morning lectures.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What proxy did the researchers use to identify interactive-engagement courses?

The self-reported frequent use of audience response devices, or clickers, by course instructors.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

How did the total number of survey responses collected compare to the number of completed surveys with recording usage data?

Out of 17,641 total surveys indicating agreement, 13,585 were completely filled out, and 12,939 of those included complete data on the usage of recordings.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What are the core basic needs of self-determination theory highlighted in the context of flexible learning?

Autonomy (having choices), which underlies human growth, development, and self-regulated learning.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What percentage of overall estimated lecture usage was allocated to on-campus live attendance (LiveCampus)?

Approximately 50% of overall lecture consumption was estimated to be on-campus live attendance.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

According to the study, how accurate are students at predicting their own exam grades?

Students are fairly good at estimating their own performance, as estimated and actual grades were strongly positively correlated.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

In what way did the home-office environment offer physical advantages over the traditional lecture hall according to student feedback?

Home offices offered larger desk space to spread out learning materials, multiple screens, and more comfortable, ergonomic setups.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What is bulimic learning in the context of student exam preparation?

The practice of learning just enough quickly to reproduce it on the exam (such as binge-watching right before), which runs counter to spaced repetition and long-term retention.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI

What is a major limitation of this study regarding the transferability of its findings to other academic disciplines?

The study was conducted at a technical university with mostly STEM courses, so results may not transfer well to discussion- or seminar-style humanities courses.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

Why is it difficult to compare absolute student performance between the post-pandemic flexible period and pre-pandemic years in this study?

Exam grades are invariably curved, meaning the grading scale is adjusted based on each cohort's outcome, preventing an absolute historical comparison.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI

What is the hidden curriculum in higher education that researchers worry might be lost with online learning?

The untestable social competencies and academic socialization (like teamwork, conflict resolution, and scientific discourse) that occur through physical campus immersion.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What alternative examination formats do the authors suggest to incentivize on-campus socialization and teamwork?

Collaborative or group examinations, which explicitly test cross-disciplinary competencies that are harder to acquire individually online.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

Did the transition to emergency remote teaching during the pandemic negatively affect long-term attrition or success rates at ETH Zurich?

No, comparing cohorts from 2017 to pandemic cohorts showed that year-to-year attrition and student success rates remained unaffected.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What play behavior was observed in students who felt a lecture was too fast?

Students would pause or rewind the recording, achieving an average exam grade that was essentially identical to the overall average.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

What was the primary method of analysis used to map correlations and connections among the 27 student attributes?

Exploratory cluster analysis and Fruchterman-Reingold representations based on cosine similarities.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified

How should universities incentivize students to return to campus according to the study's conclusions?

By removing systemic hurdles (like double-booking or heavy project loads) and introducing interactive teaching methods like peer instruction, rather than taking away flexible learning choices.

Source: Attending lectures in person, hybrid or online-how do students choose, and what about the outcome? · DOI · quote verified