Design and delivery of online scaffolding support in quantitative subjects

Learning outcomes among statistics students in two Australian higher education institutions were compared. The two institutions used the same selection criteria for the admission of students. They delivered online business statistics units consisting of very similar topics, and assessed at similar levels of difficulty. Both sets of students were offered practice material consisting of a set of examples, designed by teaching staff and covering the full syllabus, with solutions that could be looked up. Institution 1 had all assessments marked by teaching stall: Institution 2 had class tests obtained from an online assessment and homework system linked to the textbook used, and were offered bonus points for good results on homework quizzes afforded by the same system. The intention of introducing the online system was to improve learning through unlimited formative feedback, but the system and its implementation had inappropriate features. The online system sometimes gave misleading feedback, and online tests locked students out if they gave certain normally harmless computer commands. Multiple tests and demanding rules for bonus points made students' workload heavy, and the link of the system to the textbook diverted attention to material not always relevant. Comparison of final examination performance showed significantly higher achievement for students from Institution i.