TABLE 2.
Student retrospective estimations of skill and knowledge gain in a face-to-face (F2F) and in an online (OL) teaching format in an introductory biology course, as anonymously provided by students in Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 (F2F) and in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 (OL)a
| Objective | Format | Semester | Before (retrospective) (mean ± s.d.) | After (mean ± s.d.) | Gain | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How to perform serial dilutions, use a micropipette, sterile technique, spectrophotometer. | Fall | F2F | 3.43 ± 1.21 | 4.39 ± 0.69 | 0.96 | 367 |
| OL | 2.97 ± 1.3 | 4.1 ± 0.77 | 1.13 | 319 | ||
| Spring | F2F | 3.31 ± 1.29 | 4.39 ± 0.73 | 1.08 | 364 | |
| OL | 2.95 ± 1.26 | 3.98 ± 0.81 | 1.03 | 237 | ||
| How to use a microscope and a hemocytometer. | Fall | F2F | 2.69 ± 1.2 | 4.21 ± 0.72 | 1.52 | 369 |
| OL | 2.68 ± 1.23 | 4.04 ± 0.78 | 1.36 | 319 | ||
| Spring | F2F | 2.93 ± 1.24 | 4.31 ± 0.76 | 1.38 | 362 | |
| OL | 2.55 ± 1.25 | 3.91 ± 0.81 | 1.36 | 237 | ||
| Skills in science communication (literature search, technical writing, poster prep). | Fall | F2F | 3.12 ± 0.97 | 3.86 ± 0.72 | 0.74 | 367 |
| OL | 2.88 ± 1.09 | 4.25 ± 0.63 | 1.37 | 319 | ||
| Spring | F2F | 3.12 ± 1.05 | 3.96 ± 0.71 | 0.84 | 364 | |
| OL | 2.86 ± 1.11 | 4.33 ± 0.64 | 1.47 | 237 | ||
| How to generate figures and use statistics to analyze data. | Fall | F2F | 2.79 ± 1.14 | 3.9 ± 0.74 | 1.11 | 368 |
| OL | 2.66 ± 1.14 | 4.12 ± 0.65 | 1.46 | 319 | ||
| Spring | F2F | 2.82 ± 1.26 | 3.97 ± 0.8 | 1.15 | 364 | |
| OL | 2.82 ± 1.14 | 4.15 ± 0.62 | 1.33 | 237 |
a
Students could select from a 5-point scale ranging from “No knowledge” (coded as 1) and “Masterful knowledge” (coded as 5). The sample size (n) represents the number of students who responded to that question.