Xu, Di, and Shanna S. Jaggars. "Performance gaps between online and face-to-face courses: Differences across types of students and academic subject areas." The Journal of Higher Education 85.5 (2014): 633-659.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Using OLS and regression models, Xu & Jaggars found that students' performance and persistence in online courses were overall worse in comparison to in-person classes. Data analysis of students enrolled at Washington State (p=40,000) found that:
- Previously existing disparities and achievement gaps found between student subgroups were exacerbated; students that were male, African American, or low-performing would continue to perform worse in an online setting.
- The degree of difference in performance varied by major, with some majors (i.e English) being more negatively impacted by being online when compared to other majors (i.e natural sciences)

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