The threaded question format was based on theory

The threaded question format was based on theory questions with no change to this format. The purpose of
the threads was to encourage discussion on key topics in each chapter and had benefited students over the semesters.
Weekly quizzes were always given in the hybrid class but after the spring 2006 semester, quizzes focused
only on theory concepts from each chapter. Because of the change, students indicated a stronger agreement that
quizzes encouraged them to review theory more often and helped them understand theory better for exams.
The study showed course re-design did increase student motivation with the exception of homework
completion.
H1: Satisfaction (Refer to Table 2)
Students taking the hybrid course liked the convenience and freedom to work from home and at their own
pace. However, with fewer class meetings it was easy for students to procrastinate, miss assignments, and fall
behind. To prevent this from happening, weekly quizzes were given in the hybrid principles course to help students
keep up with reading assignments. To help students focus on theory concepts, quizzes contained question on theory
only starting in the summer 2006 semester. Based on student responses to the questionnaire, this change helped
students be better prepared for the theory portion of exams then when quizzes contained both theory and math
components.

Journal of College Teaching & Learning – July 2008 Volume 5, Number 7
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During the same semester, online assignments that once contained questions pertaining to both theory and
math components from each chapter were changed to include only math problems. Again, students felt this change
allowed better understanding of the math component of the course.
Overall, students did indicate increased satisfaction in the hybrid course when some assignments and
grades dealt only with theory concepts while others dealt only with math concepts.
The only area of the study that showed no increase in student performance pertained to students asking for
help if they were not able to complete the homework assignments correctly. (e.g. Students did not get the same
answer to the problems as shown on the study sheets.) With no increase in the number of students completing
homework assignment, the number of questions pertaining to homework assignment did not change.
H2: Motivation and Satisfaction (Refer to Table 3)
In designing a hybrid course, it is important to have weekly assignments and constant reminders of them to
encourage students not to procrastinate and fall behind.
The design of the weekly progress report was to provide a constant reminder of assignments and their due
dates. It was first used during the fall 2006 semester. The purpose was not only to remind students of their weekly
assignments but for them to list their goal for the week. Questions pertaining to weekly assignments and student‟s
level of satisfaction of their work were asked. Responses were based on a 4-point scale. (Refer to Table 1)
The final section of the weekly progress report reminded students of different ways to earn bonus points
(maximum of 7 percentage points added to a student‟s final grade) and what each student did during the week to
earn the poin ts.