Exploring the Persistent Impact of Online Education on Graduation Grade Point Average: A Case Study in Industrial Engineering

Due to the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, educational institutions worldwide resorted to remote/online learning for uncertain periods. Researchers have extensively monitored the effects of Covid-19 on education at various levels. While several studies in the literature have indicated a positive numerical impact of online education on course success, others have revealed that students, despite achieving high grades, may experience dissatisfaction with online education for various reasons such as lack of motivation, communication challenges, and limited opportunities to engage with course content. This study delves into the long-term outcomes of online education by examining students' Grade Point Averages (GPAs). Specifically, the research assesses the academic performance of first, second, and fourth-grade students enrolled in industrial engineering, considering selected courses, matriculation scores, and graduation averages across both online and face-to-face learning periods. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance to explore group relationships, and Pearson correlation to analyze parameter relationships were employed in the study. Upon scrutinizing the study results, it was observed that the GPAs exhibited a correlation with the matriculation score but did not show a significant relationship with courses learned through online education.