Evaluating distance learning in health informatics education.

The purpose of this study was to compare academic performance between distance-learning and on-campus health informatics students. A quantitative causal-comparative research design was utilized, and academic performance was measured by final GPA scores and Registered Health Information Administrator certification exam scores. Differences in previous academic performance between the two groups were also determined by comparing overall admission GPA and math/science admission GPA. The researchers found no difference in academic performance between the two groups when final GPA scores and total certification scores were compared. However, there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in 4 of the 17 sub-domains of the certification examination, with the on-campus students scoring slightly higher than the distance students. Correlation studies were also performed, and the researchers found significant correlations between overall admission GPA, math/science admission GPA, final GPA, and certification scores.

A comparison in academic performance between distance and on-campus students in allied healthcare education.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the differences in background characteristics and academic performance of students in distance learning and on-campus programs in allied healthcare education at one medical university in the Eastern United States. The study depended on data from 252 students, drawn from three disciplines, clinical laboratory science, health information administration, and nuclear medicine. The study employed the chi-square test and t-test for analyzing the data. The study's findings suggested no significant differences in terms of the background characteristics of gender and previous academic performance between distance and on-campus students. However, the two groups of students differed significantly in terms of their age composition such that, as expected, distance learning students comprised the majority of older students (25 years and older) relative to their on campus counterparts. The study further showed that, when assessed in terms of their final grade point averages as well as certification pass rates, distance and on campus students were indistinguishable from each other. Similar results were found when final GPA scores within the three separate disciplines were compared and in certification scores in two out of the three disciplines. However, the certification scores of nuclear medicine technology students were found to be significantly different between the two groups, in which on-campus students earned a significantly higher score than their counterparts in the distance learning program. Administrators and educators who are considering offering distance learning as a method of degree obtainment in allied healthcare education need data, such as reported in this study, when determining if distance learning can be as effective as on-campus learning in allied healthcare education.

Evaluating distance learning in clinical laboratory science.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any significant differences in academic performance between distance students and on-campus students in clinical laboratory science. DESIGN: A quantitative causal comparative research design was used. SETTING: The research study was conducted at an academic health sciences university in the eastern United States. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Anecdotal graduate data were collected from students that had graduated from the Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) program. INTERVENTIONS: The students had either received their CLS education via distance or through the traditional on-campus methods. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Academic performance was the major outcome measured. This was determined by comparing distance students' final grade point average (GPA) scores and certification scores to their on-campus counterparts. RESULTS: The researchers found no significant difference in gender between distance and on-campus students; however, there was a significant difference in age. On average the distance students were older than their on-campus counterparts. There were no significant differences found for mean overall admission GPA, mean math science admission GPA, mean final GPA score, and mean certification score. There were also no differences found in any of the subcategories of the certification exam except for urinalysis. For the urinalysis subcategory the distance students significantly outperformed their on-campus counterparts. Correlation studies showed that there were significant positive correlations between overall admission GPAs, math science admission GPAs, final GPA scores, and certification scores. CONCLUSIONS: The researchers have shown that distance learning CLS graduates are as academically prepared as their on-campus counterparts.