The relationship between morningness – eveningness preference and online learning

This study explored whether circadian preference is related to students’ attitudes and choices to attend lectures or watch them online, and whether these variables relate to course performance. The subjects were 847 students enrolled in an introductory psychology course who completed an online survey that contained the Morningness – Eveningness Questionnaire and that ascertained their attitudes towards online lectures and the extent to which they attended lectures or watched them online; course performance was also recorded. The results revealed that evening-type students were significantly more likely to have a positive attitude toward online lectures and to choose to watch lectures online. Course performance was not linked to morningness – eveningness preference, lecture mode choice, or their interaction. The results suggest that online lectures appeal differentially to students with a morning or evening orientation, but that watching lectures in a modality that does not accommodate a student’s circadian preference does not handicap performance.