Impact of Learning Strategies in Distance Education on Student Performance in an Introductory Course of Soil Science

This research aims to determine if learning strategies influenced the participation and performance of students from a Soil Science course in distance modality. The participation and qualifications of 783 students from an Environmental Management course of a university in southern Ecuador were used. The data were organized in four periods between 2012 and 2018 and analyzed with descriptive statistics (means and frequencies), considering the strategies implemented in each period, such as forums, chats, questionnaires, works, and evaluations. The implemented synchronous and asynchronous strategies influence the students' participation but not always their performance. Furthermore, the greater number of activities sent is not always beneficial. For this reason, it is essential to prioritize and clarify the activities sent to students with adequate planning and explanation of them. The unique characteristics of Soil Science, added to the challenge of distance learning, constitute a real challenge, so continuing to do research on education aspects of this science will contribute to improving the students' academic performance.