A Meta-Analytical Review of Students’ Out-of-Class Communication and Learning Effects

Abstract

A random-effects meta-analysis (N = 7,113) was conducted examining the relationships between students’ out-of-class communication (OCC) and learning outcomes. The findings revealed positive summary effects for OCC on affective learning (k = 7, N = 1478, r = 0.321, p < 0.001) and perceived cognitive learning (k = 11, N = 5635, r = 0.261, p < 0.001). Several moderators were identified, indicating the association between OCC and cognitive learning varied systematically because of the measurement instruments used to operationalize OCC and learning and because of interdisciplinary treatments of the constructs. Recommendations are made for future researchers including the need for a theoretical explanation of the OCC-learning relationship.

Keywords:

• Affective Learning
• Cognitive Learning
• Meta-Analysis
• Out-of-Class Communication

Notes

[1] We opted for a random-effect model over a fixed-effect model because as Borenstein et al. (2009) summarized, “in the vast majority of cases, especially when the studies are performed by different researchers and then culled from the literature, it is more plausible that the impact of the covariates captures some, but not all, of the true variation among effects. In this case, it is the random-effects model that reflects the nature of the distribution of true effects, and should therefore be used in the analyses” (p. 195). Anker et al. (2010) would agree, as they discourage the use of the fixed-effect model in communication studies research unless a strong case can be made. They added that, “scholars selecting the fixed effect approach are cautioned that the fixed effect model assumes a homogenous study population, and thus, findings cannot be generalized” (p. 271).