Online Tutoring Research Study for Remedial Algebra

Abstract

In 2012, the City University of New York undertook to examine whether online tutoring would be helpful to remedial algebra students. The research study was done in the spring 2012 semester at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). The research question was two-fold: (a) Does online tutoring help improve pass rates among remedial algebra students? and (b) Do remedial algebra students find that online tutoring is helpful? A random sample of eight sections of Elementary Algebra was chosen from the 112 sections of that course offered in the spring semester. This amounted to a total of 195 students in the research sections, with 2,521 remaining students in the control (nontreatment) sections. All students in the eight treatment sections were given access to the Brainfuse online tutoring system. Midterm scores, final exam scores, and opinion surveys were collected. An overwhelming proportion of those who used the service found it helpful (94.7%) and would recommend it to a friend (100.0%). However, the pass rates in the study were nearly the same for the treatment and control groups, and a logistic regression analysis, comparing two statistically matched cohorts, showed no significant differences. One issue was that the sample of those who chose to use the service was small. Also, many of those who needed the most help were not the ones who used the service. It may be that in terms of improving pass rates, outreach and counseling for students could be more efficacious than simply offering a tutoring service.