ABSTRACT
The use of technology in higher education science classrooms rose significantly in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many universities, academic programs including introductory physics classes were taken online. Some institutions adopted online learning but also maintained face-to-face (F2F) laboratories when COVID-19 restrictions began to ease. Here, the effectiveness of the online learning approach in comparison with F2F learning is explored. The percentage difference in performance for students who took the online introductory physics course, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, versus that of students simultaneously taking the same course F2F is reported. This is done both across different sections taught by different instructors, and for the same course taught online versus F2F by the same professor. Furthermore, a short survey was conducted to assess the student learning experience and opinion about online and F2F learning. The results show equal or better overall performance for online learning with 4.2% higher performance when comparing results across different sections taught by different instructors. A similar 6.1% performance improvement was seen when comparing results across different sections taught by the same instructor. In contrast with the performance outcomes, the survey results indicate that about 72% of students prefer F2F compared to online learning. The findings provide a useful reference as many institutions and programs transition back to more standard F2F or hybrid learning modes. The benefits and drawbacks of each mode are discussed in the specific context of student preferences and challenges faced in online learning during COVID-19. © 2021 IOP Publishing Ltd.