Most of us have heard of the book “7 habits of Highly Effective People” and the lessons it teaches – that the most successful people are proactive, thoughtful, organized, optimistic, etc. A recent study concerning student success shows additional examples of what makes someone highly effective – or, more specifically, highly effective in the online classroom.
A study conducted by Blackboard can be generalized to all students using Learning Management Systems (LMS). Researchers found that successful students tended to check their grades more often than less successful students. Simply checking your grades will not improve them; however, it makes sense that if you are frequently checking your grades then you are likely more concerned and more likely to work on improving them.
The study also revealed that the more a student clicks into the “Content” section of the LMS, the less likely he or she is to have a higher grade. This may seem puzzling – why would a student who frequently accesses course content receive a lower grade than a student who accessed course content less frequently? I believe that if you truly know and understand the subject, then you do not have to reference the “Content” section as frequently. Or perhaps stronger students download and save the content for offline use rather than accessing it via the LMS.
Assessments and assignments should be predictors of success, but the study found the more times a student spent on online tests and quizzes, the lower the student’s grade. We have all been in classes where the “smart ones” confidently turn their test and papers in long before the rest of the class finishes. Generally, those who are struggling are still looking at their papers when the teacher calls time. This would explain why students who received a lower grade also spent more time on LMS tests and quizzes.
This study shows us the behaviors of successful students, but does not show how to become a successful student. We can mimic successful students’ behaviors, but that doesn’t guarantee success.
Ultimately, the study found that student success can be predicted by how they use LMS. Check your grades more often and you’ll be more likely to receive higher scores. Rely less on the “Content” section (or perhaps download the files located there directly to your computer for offline access) and your grade might be higher. In any event, one thing is certain – successful students use LMS tools.
For those students interested in learning more about themselves, take a look at these great self-assessment tools from educationplanner.org.
