A study of quality assurance impact on online learning outcomes of college students

Abstract

The effectiveness of online teaching depends on quality assurance (QA) support, including individualised helpdesk assistance and group-based faculty training. The purpose of this study is to examine the QA impact on student learning outcomes through a twofold approach: (1) quantitative analyses of the relationship between QA assistance data and 51,670 grade point average (GPA) records across online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) qualitative extraction of the topic patterns about helpdesk services at a state university in California. An R package is employed to capture the primary features of technical assistance. While the QA support is triggered by the massive course switch to online teaching, the impact has been sustained by the fact that many incoming college students have taken online courses during the pandemic and wish to keep the online programme options in higher education. In alignment with the extended needs, the research findings are discussed to draw the future implications of QA support for faculty professional development and student learning in the post-pandemic era.