MyLab IT assignment completion positively impacts student success
Pearson | October 29, 2021 in Meaningful Outcomes
by Pearson
MyLab IT contributes to student success
In Spring 2018, Professor Erik Ford from the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR partnered with Pearson to investigate the impact of MyLab™ IT with eText for Exploring Microsoft Office 2016 by Grauer and Poatsy on student success in his Managing Business Information course.
Researchers found that:
- Students missing three or fewer assignments had an average final course score of 95% — 19 percentage points higher than students who missed four or more assignments.
- Course evaluation ratings have increased and remained steady.
- 100% of student survey respondents agreed that their ability to successfully use Excel increased as a result of using MyLab IT.
Click here to read the full case study or continue reading to learn more.
Why does Professor Erik Ford utilize MyLab IT?
In the past, students struggled greatly to succeed in the Managing Business Information course and, as a result, would not pursue subsequent courses in the decision sciences. It became clear that a better online homework and assessment component was needed. In Summer 2014, Ford piloted MyLab IT for the first time, and this became the start of the course’s revival.
How was MyLab IT implemented?
Ford uses the assignment calendar in MyLab IT for everything, including assignments due in Canvas, the school’s Learning Management System. This is how students navigate all assignments and assessments. MyLab is used for two types of homework including:
- Skill-Based Training Simulations: Students may try each step as many times as needed to successfully complete the task.
- Grader Projects: Students must download an Excel or Access file and instructions, complete the instructions, and upload the file back to MyLab for grading. The average of two attempts is recorded as the final score.
In the first five weeks of the course, MyLab IT Simulation Trainings are completed before the first class of each week, and MyLab IT Grader Projects are completed before the second class of the week.
Other MyLab IT components consist of:
- Concept quizzes: They are drawn directly from the material in the text and consist of 20 multiple-choice questions randomly drawn from a larger pool of questions.
- Project Creation Tool: Implemented in weeks 6-8 and are used to create custom multiple-choice Grader Project exams for the Applied Analytics Case Study.
Were students successful in the course?
Data show the average final course score for students with three or fewer missed assignments versus those who missed four or more, a critical difference of 19 percentage points, as students must achieve at least 82.5% to pass the course.
Nearly three-quarters of students scored 90% or higher on Simulations, and the difference in the average score was 27 percentage points, from 86% to 59%.
Did students like using MyLab IT?
Responses from the Spring 2018 end-of-semester survey of Ford’s students indicate that the majority of responding students recognize the value of MyLab IT.
- 100% of students agreed that their ability to successfully use Excel increased as a result of using MyLab IT.
- 70% of students reported feeling very confident in their ability to use Excel.
One student said:
“It was a real-world skill that comes in handy for many different jobs, and it is a very popular skill to have coming out of college.”
