Impact Of Course Length on And Subsequent Use as A Predictor of Course Success
This study analyzes course success rates of students earning a grade on record in 8- week condensed courses at Crafton Hills College, a small suburban community college in Southern California, over five academic years compared to students earning a grade on record in the same course taught by the same instructors in a full semester traditional course of 18 weeks. Controlling for instructor, course, and academic term in this study mitigates the impact of other influences on student success not fully considered in previous research. The study then applies classification tree algorithms and binary logistic regression to determine whether course length predicts students’ course success rates. The findings follow previous studies that students enrolled in condensed courses are more likely to be successful than students in traditional length courses. Findings include positive statistical and practical relationships for course success in six subjects and for students with a lower than average prior cumulative GPA. Additionally, prior cumulative GPA and course length are the best predictors of a student successfully completing a course.