Online vs. Face-to-Face Delivery of Information Technology Courses: Students' Assessment

Abstract

This paper investigates students’ assessment of on-line vs face-to-face delivery of lecture-based information technology courses. The study used end-of-course surveys to examine students’ ratings of five course quality indicators: Course Organization, Assessment and Grading Procedures, Instructor Performance, Positive Learning Experience, and Perceived Success. The study analyzed five semesters of students’ ratings and found no significant differences in the overall ratings of the course quality indicators between the on-line and face-to-face courses. There were differences between the overall ratings of the course quality indicators, with instructor performance and course organization receiving the highest ratings. More importantly, there was a significant interaction between the course quality indicators and the course structure. Examination of this interaction indicated that the course organization, the assessment and grading procedures, and the students’ perceived success in the course, were higher in on-line courses, while instructor performance was better in face-to-face courses. These findings suggest different ways to improve both the on-line and face-to-face courses. Finally, the most surprising outcome was that students perceived greater success in on-line courses. However, this result needs further exploration in future studies.