Impact of Student Attendance on Student Learning in An Introductory Geology Course

In a large (n = 180 student) introductory geology course, the relation of student attendance to student learning and performance was assessed. Ten unscheduled quizzes were administered throughout the semester and these quizzes served as a proxy to determine student attendance patterns. It is notable that students were informed that unscheduled quizzes would occur throughout the semester and that these quizzes would constitute 20% of the final grade in the course. Student participation on quizzes was then compared to average scores on scheduled examinations. Not surprisingly, student attendance was highly correlated to performance on examinations (r² = 0.95); those students attending class regularly displayed significantly better achievement than students who skipped class. A review of attendance patterns throughout the semester indicated that average attendance in this course was 47%. However, more than one-quarter of students (27%) missed 8 to 10 quizzes, indicating little or no attendance during scheduled class lectures, opting instead to attend only for scheduled examinations. Average performance of these students on examinations was 46%. In contrast, students who completed 8 to 10 quizzes (indicating regular attendance for only 19% of enrolled students) had average exam scores of 90%. Results of this experiment reflect a pernicious culture of non-attendance among college students, calling into question the relevance of pedagogy given the overwhelming influence of attendance on student performance (and presumably learning). In effect, pedagogical philosophy becomes irrelevant when students don't attend class. The question then becomes ‘how do we promote student attendance as a first step toward improving student learning?'