MyLab Business Communications boosts student success
Pearson | February 11, 2022 in Meaningful Outcomes
by Pearson
MyLab Business Communications contributes to student success
In Spring 2017, Pearson partnered with Susan Timm, professor at Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL, to investigate the impact of MyLab™ Business Communications with Business Communications Essentials by Bovee and Thill on student success in her Business Communications course.
Key findings include:
- There’s a very strong correlation between MyLab assignments and average quiz scores and a strong correlation between Dynamic Study Modules and average quiz scores.
- Students completing all MyLab assignments earned significantly higher average quiz and final course grades than students who skipped at least one assignment.
- 92 percent of students agreed that the Dynamic Study Modules pattern of test-learn-retest helped them retain information about important chapter topics.
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Why did Professor Susan Timm adopt MyLab Business Communications?
Previously, Timm and her colleagues used a different textbook that didn’t provide much digital support for students. When reviewing options, she was encouraged by the many options for homework assignments and quizzing in MyLab Business Communications. Additionally, she hoped that pre-class homework assigned in MyLab would compel students to read the textbook and understand the basics so she could focus on more challenging content in lecture.
How was MyLab Business Communications implemented?
Business Communications is a one-semester, three-credit course open to all students. MyLab is required and used for understanding content, homework assignments, additional practice, and assessments.
All students complete nine MyLab homework assignments and quizzes and account for 53% of the total course grade. Bi-weekly MyLab assignments consist of:
- Chapter warm-ups: These are completed before lectures and allow students to come to class familiar with basic concepts.
- Dynamic Study Modules: They give Timm’s students additional practice in the content areas where they struggle the most.
- Decision-making Mini Sims: The simulations each take a minimum of 20 minutes to complete, and students may take them as many times as they like to earn a higher score.
- Video assignments: Videos are less than ten minutes in length, and students have unlimited attempts at completing the five-question, multiple-choice quizzes that follow.
- Document makeovers: These give students an opportunity to understand the how and why of polished communication.
- Grammar improvement exercises: They include a short media lessons followed by practice QuickChecks and objective-based homework questions. Students have unlimited attempts at completion.
- Chapter quizzes: Students complete a 25-question, multiple-choice quiz in MyLab for each chapter and have two attempts at completion.
Were students successful in the course?
Students were divided into two groups based on completion of the Dynamic Study Modules.
Students who completed all DSM assignments earned average quiz scores 24 percentage points higher than students who skipped at least one DSM.
Students who completed all DSM assignments earned average final course scores 19 percentage points higher than students who skipped at least one DSM.
In addition, a very strong positive correlation exists between average MyLab homework scores and average MyLab quiz scores.
Did students like using MyLab Business Communications?
Responses from the Spring 2017, end-of-semester, survey of Timm’s students indicate that the majority of responding students recognize the value of MyLab Business Communication.
98 percent of students strongly agree or agree that their understanding of the course material increased as a result of using MyLab.
One student said:
“[MyLab] has step-by-step assignments that are easy for students to follow and know what they have accomplished, or what they still need to work on.”
Learn more about how MyLab Business Communication could benefit your institution
