The u-curve of e-learning: Course website and online video use in blended and distance learning

Procrastination is a common challenge for students. While course Websites and online video lectures enable studying anytime, anywhere, and expand learning opportunities, their availability may increase procrastination by making it easier for students to defer until tomorrow. This research used Google Analytics to examine temporal use patterns of course Websites, with an emphasis on online video lectures. We analyzed pageview data of 8,977 students enrolled in two
compulsory undergraduate courses, one of which is offered exclusively fully online, and three elective courses, one for undergraduates, and two for master of business administration (MBA) students, over a period of two years. Our findings showed a significant u-curve of e-learning for all courses, during all the examined semesters, for courses’ homepage views, as well as for their main video page. We evaluated the depth of the mid-semester decline in e-learning and generally
found no significant differences among courses, or over time. However, the relative decline in access to the main video page of undergraduates enrolled in compulsory courses was significantly larger than that of undergraduate and MBA students in elective courses, thus, suggesting that procrastination of video views was slightly higher in compulsory courses. The implications of the findings are discussed.