Support student success with Revel Sociology
Pearson | August 6, 2021 in Meaningful Outcomes
by Pearson
How Revel Sociology contributes to student success
In Spring 2017, Professor Laurie Linhart at Des Moines Area Community College partnered with Pearson to investigate whether Revel for Sociology: The Basics by Macionis supported student success.
Researchers found that:
- Students who scored above the median on Revel module quizzes scored an average of 19 percentage points higher on essay assignments than students who scored below the median.
- Data indicate a strong correlation between the overall percentage of Revel points earned and course participation scores.
- 71% of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed Revel made them better prepared for class and more engaged in the content of the course.
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Why did Professor Laurie Linhart adopt Revel?
Professor Linhart was previously using MySocLab with Writing Space in her Introduction to Sociology course (Soc 110). Results from a Spring 2014 educator study in Soc 110 indicated students who completed all work in Writing Space out-performed other students on the exams.
In Summer 2016, she chose to implement Revel because of the integrated reading assignments and ability to use the Performance Dashboard to intervene early with challenging concepts and struggling students. She hoped the frequent Revel module quizzes would prepare students for participation in class discussion, improve student essay performance, and lead to higher summative assessment scores.
How was Revel used in the course?
Soc 110 hybrid, web-enhanced courses met once a week for an hour and 25 minutes with the majority of the coursework taking place online. Grades for the course were comprised of Revel module quizzes, Revel chapter quizzes, Revel auto-graded writing assignments, and class participation. Students were expected to complete assigned readings, discussion questions, quizzes, and writing assignments prior to each class meeting in order to arrive at class prepared to participate in discussion. Revel assignments account for 95% of the final course grade.
Were students successful over the semester?
Data show students who scored above the median Revel module quiz score earned significantly higher essay averages than students who scored below the median. In addition, students who scored above the median Revel module quiz score earned significantly higher Revel chapter quiz score averages than students who scored below the median.
Did students like using Revel?
In Spring 2017, students completed a voluntary, end-of-semester survey, providing valuable insight on their experience using Revel.
- 92% of respondents rated the “read a little, do a little” approach of Revel as good or excellent.
- 74% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed their experience with Revel was better than with a printed text.
- 71% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed Revel made them better prepared for class and more engaged in the content.
One student said:
“I enjoyed the format and how Revel works. It really helped in my ability to learn the material.”
Conclusion
Students who scored above the median score on Revel module quizzes scored an average of 19 percentage points higher on essay assignments and an average of 23 points higher on summative Revel chapter quizzes than students who scored below the median.
Student survey responses indicated 71% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed Revel made them better prepared for class and more engaged in the content of the course.
Linhart believes Revel has improved student performance and preparedness in the course while the Performance Dashboard has allowed her to intervene early with struggling students.
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