Balancing the equation: The effect of alternate course formats on retention and performance of adult elementary algebra learners

With the rise of nontraditional students at the college level, nontraditional course formats have been added to address student need. These alternate course formats include online, weekend, short-term, and computer assisted instruction courses. The purpose of this study was to look at the effect of these alternate course formats on student retention and student performance. To do this, alternate course formats were compared to traditionally formatted sections of the same Elementary Algebra course offered over a three-year, six-semester period. Furthermore, students were separated into four age levels: Younger than 24, 24 to 29, 30 to 29, and 40 or older. For the purposes of analysis, both chi-squared and two-way ANOVA were calculated. Results indicate that there is a difference among course formats and age levels in terms of student retention, though an interaction could only be found for those students who are younger than 24 years. Results further indicate that there is a difference among course formats and age levels in terms of student performance, though an interaction could not be confirmed.