LIMITATIONS
Due to the dynamic nature of the varied course delivery methods, the three sections of the exercise psychology
course did not implement the exact assignments. For example, a couple of the assignments were applied only to
one of the sections or were shared by two of the sections, such as the in-class assignments, which were not
utilized in the online course. Therefore, assessment tools among the three sections were not entirely comparable.
It is likely that the students’ overall learning outcomes were influenced by the differences of these assignments
to some degree. Also, different point values were attributed to assignments, the mid-term and final exams;
however, to lessen the implications of these variations, raw scores were converted to percentile scores for
comparison. But, due to these differences between sections, data could be potentially statistically biased. Further,
our current sample is somewhat uniform, and lacking in diversity. About 67% of the students were seniors, and
77% were Caucasian, with an average GPA of 3.22; given these factors, these results may exclude the population
of students who are not represented among this sample. The results may not represent the adaptability of
lowerclassmen and other ethnic groups with a lower GPA to a hybrid or online learning modality. Moreover, we
were not able to collect feedback directly from the students concerning their hybrid or online learning
experiences; this information could have held value in providing information about the students’ motivation or
their own perceptions regarding academic success.