Instruction Modality and Writing Intensive Undergraduate Research Success: A Case Study

Abstract

This paper explores if, and to what extent, shifting instruction modality influenced student learning outcome success in a writing intensive undergraduate course when COVID-19 shifted the method of the course’s delivery. With consistency in the instructor of record and writing prompt, the present study isolated and evaluated variability across student performance as assessed by final research project grades produced by the instructor, and assessment scores by two independent evaluators. Results show that instruction modality is associated with student performance. Students enrolled during the transitioning 2020 period earned lower grades on their final project as assessed by the instructor of record than students did in other course modalities. Additionally, these students performed lower in the areas of comprehension and citation. Students enrolled in 2021 hybrid class performed objectively lower, with lower scores on their final project and in the domains of clarity, comprehension, courtesy, cleverness, and citation in comparison to their pre-COVID-19 2019 face-to-face peers. Writing intensive capstone courses require faculty to work closely with students; students are more focused and attentive to improving the quality of their research papers and perfect their writing when faculty provide individualized attention to students in a face-to-face teaching modality.

Keywords:

• Undergraduate capstone course
• writing intensive course
• undergraduate research
• COVID-19 and undergraduate education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Frances P. Bernat

Dr. Frances Bernat is a Texas A&M System Regents Professor and Emerita at Arizona State University. She performs research on human trafficking, youth resilience, and diversion courts.

April Kraft-Duley

April Kraft-Duley is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology at Washington State University. Her current research examines youth outcomes, school violence, and equity in public funding.

Christopher Dollar

Christopher W. Dollar is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University. His research interests include criminal justice policy, community and institutional corrections, rehabilitation and reentry, application of law, and comparative criminology. His recent work has appeared in Sociology Compass, Crime and Delinquency, and Justice Quarterly.

David A. Makin

Dr. David A. Makin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology and is the Director of the Complex Social Interaction Lab at Washington State University. His current research is a collaboration with police departments developing agency workflows integrating body-worn camera data to enhance officer training, reform policies, and improve police interactions with the public.