An assessment of the impact of online quizzes and textbook resources on students’ learning

Publishers often market their textbooks by offering additional online textbook resources. This project analyzes quantitative and qualitative data to assess the learning outcomes of using a textbook website to administer online quizzes. This practice was found to be successful in increasing students' diligence in the completion and submission of their assignments, and students commented favorably about their learning experience with online quizzes. However, the opportunity to preview and practice online the material covered in the text did not result in improved performance: students did not show a significant increased ability on in-class exams to answer correctly the multiple choice questions they had already been exposed to. These findings suggest that while this online technology increased students’ involvement and participation in the class and in their coursework, it did not result in improved performance on exams.