The Relationship between Fully Online Gateway Science Courses and Student Academic Performance in Health Career Associate Degree Programs at Regional Community College

The severe shortage of healthcare professionals creates an increased demand for new graduates in Allied health and Nursing programs. Gateway science courses to HCAD programs such as A&P are often considered predictors of student success in Allied health and Nursing programs. A&P courses have been traditionally taught face-to-face, and the COVID pandemic has forced institutions to switch these courses to a fully online format. Despite its increased popularity, the impact of fully online gateway courses on student academic performance in HCAD programs needed to be clarified. This quantitative study examined the relationship between fully online gateway science courses and student academic performance in HCAD programs at Regional Community College. Data was collected from a large community college in the Southeastern region of the United States retrospectively over the academic years 2017-18 to 2021-22. The quantitative analysis included Welch's ANOVA tests with multiple comparisons and chi-square tests. The result indicated an association between the A&P II course completion format and the mean course grade points, which was statistically significant ("p" < 0.05). The findings demonstrated a significant association between the A&P II course completion format and first-year student retention in HCAD programs. Multiple comparison tests revealed that even though the first-year HCAD program retention rates were lower among the post-COVID online group, those who advanced and graduated from HCAD programs in that group performed better academically. The results of this study indicated that online modality could be a viable course delivery option for instructing gateway science courses. It is unclear whether one course delivery method is better than other methods in improving student academic performance in HCAD programs due to various reasons. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]