Online Sections Research Articles

Comparison of Time Investment in Common Teaching Practices among Three Instructional Methods

Increasingly more collegiate courses are offered through a variety of distance formats. Course management platforms have reduced the faculty time required to create and deliver distance courses while enhancing asynchronous communication. In this study, the transactional distance theory was used to evaluate the different communication levels found between faculty and students in web-facilitated, online, and interactive video courses. A comparison of the online course sections to the web-facilitated course sections determined that there were significantly more asynchronous contacts with the online sections than with the web-facilitated sections. In addition, the total instructor time invested to administer the online course sections was significantly less than for the web-facilitated course sections. The interactive video conferencing sections could not be compared directly to the other teaching modes because the course content differed; however, mean time intervals for teaching and administrative activities are provided.

Web-Based vs. Face-To-Face MBA Classes: A Comparative Assessment Study

The challenges of online learning include ensuring that the learning outcomes are at least as robust as in the face-to-face sections of the same course. At the University of Baltimore, both online sections and face-to-face sections of core MBA courses are offered. Once admitted to the MBA, students are free to enroll in any combination of web-based or face-to-face courses. This provides a unique laboratory to assess comparative learning outcomes.

Information Literacy Successes Compared: Online vs. Face to Face

ABSTRACT This paper compares the results of a comprehensive exam taken by undergraduates enrolled in face-to-face and online sections of a three–credit course in information literacy. Authors discuss choosing, adapting, and implementing the comprehensive exam. Questions are mapped to the ACRL Competency Standards for Information Literacy for Higher Education to assess the effectiveness of the course. Preliminary results indicate that online students performed slightly better than their face-to-face counterparts.

Student Performance in Online and Traditional Sections of an Undergraduate Management Course

Few previous studies comparing online and traditional courses have focused on undergraduate management courses. Our results complement previous analyses finding that, when we control for factors such as class, major, and GPA, students in online courses do as well in objective measures of performance, but not better than students in traditional courses. We also found that in the online sections, females performed at least as well as males. We discuss these results in relation to some changes in online education and the persistent perception by some that online education is somewhat problematic because students need more discipline in online courses.

Comparing the Distance Learning-Related Course Development Approach and Faculty Support and Rewards Structure at AACSB Accredited Institutions between 2001 and 2006

The study compared the support and rewards provided faculty members for online course teaching and the development approaches used at business schools accredited by AACSB between 2001 and 2006. Data were collected from 81 professors in 2001 and 140 professors in 2006. The professors were involved in developing or teaching online courses at AACSB business schools across the United States. The findings indicate that faculty members received limited support and are not taking advantage of training options. Faculty members are most likely rewarded for their involvement in distance learning through stipends based on the number of online sections taught. Little has changed during the five-year period in regards to course development. Faculty members continue to use an individual instead of a team approach to course development and most faculty members learned online course development and delivery techniques on their own.

Construction and Evaluation of an Online Microbiology Course for Nonscience Majors

The development of web-based technologies provides a new method for course delivery. As with any new technique, evaluation is a necessary tool to determine if the method is consistent with expectations. This study describes the conversion of a nonscience majors' microbiology lecture course to online delivery and evaluates the hypothesis that the online course can be as effective as the traditional course. Course examination scores are compared between the face-to-face and online sections over a 3-year period. On all but one of the course examinations, no significant difference is found for those students in these two distinctly different course types. The success rate, as defined by those students earning grades of C or better, is high for both course types, although the traditional course success rate is slightly higher. Student evaluations of the courses are also positive, though some differences are noted. Overall, student performance in the online course is equivalent to that in the traditional course.

DIFFERENCES IN GENDER AND LECTURE MODES IN KNOWLEDGE OF COMPUTER CONCEPTS PRIOR TO COMPUTER CLASSES

A computer concepts test was used to assess student computing concepts knowledge levels in traditional face- to- face and online sections of an introductory computing course. This assessment was conducted during the first semester of the course in order to measure the depth and breadth of student knowledge of computing when they first enter the course. More specific objectives of this study were to investigate whether there is a difference in the level of computer concepts knowledge between (1) students enrolled in online classes and students enrolled in traditional face-to-face classes and (2) male and female students. The results of this study indicate that students with higher computer concepts knowledge levels are more likely than students with lower levels of computer concepts to enroll in an online section. This paper provides an overview of the major computer concepts areas on which students were tested and includes summary of the analyses performed to test the investigation’s hypotheses.

The Effect of Student Choice of Online Discussion Format on Tiered Achievement and Student Satisfaction

This study investigated whether providing students with the choice of chat versus threaded discussion boards for online discourse is an effective instructional strategy in terms of student learning and satisfaction. The sample was teacher education students enrolled in face-to-face (FTF) and online sections of one undergraduate foundations course. Both sections required participation in online text-based discussion. Comparison groups included course format (FTF vs. online), discussion format (chat vs. discussion board) and discussion format option (choice vs. no choice). Results reveal that students’ choice of discussion format was influenced by the trait of academic introversion-extraversion but not by the instructional environment (FTF or online) in which they enrolled. In addition, providing the choice of discussion format to students enhanced course satisfaction and, while some differences were found in cognitive achievement, the results were weak.

La información en los principales medios de comunicación on-line. Estudiar la representación de género

The object of study of this research was to determine the mediation that is established by the different communicative agents in the news production of the on-line services of the principal Spanish mass media, and how this mediation has a repercussion on the final news product, all considered from a gender perspective. Our starting point was located in the belief that, due to their economic, technical and aesthetic characteristics, the on-line media are more permeable than the conventional mass media to new sources of news, new subjects of journalistic interest and to the inclusion of women in the process of elaborating on-line news. In our research we carried out an exhaustive analysis of the journalistic production carried out in the principal on-line mass media at the national level. This approach enabled us to discover an ensemble of phenomena concerning the present situation of the on-line sections, both from the perspective of journalistic practices and regarding news contents. In the study we considered the composition and hierarchical structure of the editorial team, the internalisation of productive routines in the process of preparing the news story and the contents disseminated on the different websites of the news media, without overlooking gender representation as the main object of the research.

A Multi-Semester Comparison of Student Performance between Multiple Traditional and Online Sections of Two Management Courses

This multi-semester (eight semesters), multi-course study compared student performance in undergraduate online and traditional sections of “Organization and Management” with sample sizes of 380 and 213, respectively. Concurrent online and traditional sections of “Strategic Management” courses with sample sizes of 298 and 456, respectively, were also comparatively analyzed. Similar to previous research (Borthick & Jones, 2000; Gagne & Shepherd, 2001; Piccoli, Ahman, Ives, 2001), this study found no statistically significant difference in student performance between online and traditional classes in both management courses after examining eight semesters of data. However, this study found gender differences with both management courses.

A Comparison of Online (High Tech) and Traditional (High Touch) Learning in Business Communication Courses in Silicon Valley

In this study, the authors explored differences in perceptions of skill development and the value of face-to-face interaction between students taking a business communication course offered online and in the traditional, on-campus classroom environment. They hypothesized that there would be no statistically significant difference in face-to-face interaction or perceived learning scores between students enrolled in online sections and those enrolled in traditional, in-class sections of business communication courses. In both cases, the authors observed a statistically significant difference. Findings suggest that the two groups of students were quite similar with respect to perceptions of skill development; however, the authors observed differences in the area of face-to-face interaction.

A Comparison of Student Grades, Floral Design Laboratory Skill Scores, and Course Satisfaction of Traditional and Online Sections of a University Floral Design Course

Performance of college-level floral design students was compared using a sample of 140 students from Texas A&M University. The experimental group was enrolled in the online version of the course, while the control group was enrolled in the traditional version of the course. Students in both groups were asked to fill out surveys at the beginning and end of the semester. In addition, student floral designs were evaluated at the beginning and end of the semester, and student grades were compared at the end of the semester. No statistically significant differences were noted in terms of student course satisfaction. However, differences were noted in course grades, with those enrolled in the traditional section of the course outperforming those in the online section. Overall, the students in both sections of the course did well in terms of grades, floral design skill scores, and course satisfaction. Results indicated that certain student characteristics may be indicators for student success in online courses.

Factors Affecting Student Performance and Satisfaction: Online versus Traditional Course Delivery

Interest in online course delivery has increased in recent years, and a body of research has emerged regarding this trend. Many of the studies compare student performance online versus in a traditional class (and find none), or differences in student satisfaction (and find online students to be generally less satisfied than their traditional counterparts). The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to see if careful control between online and traditional sections can alleviate the generally lower satisfaction of online students, (2) to preliminarily propose a set of factors that could lead to increased performance and satisfaction for online students, and (3) to confirm previous work, which indicates that student performance online is no different than performance in a traditional classroom. The study involved senior-level undergraduate MIS students who were enrolled in an E-Business course; results suggest several possible ways to increase student performance and satisfaction in online courses.

Characteristics and Performance of Students in an Online Section of Business Statistics

We compare students in online and lecture sections of a business statistics class taught simultaneously by the same instructor using the same content, assignments, and exams in the fall of 2001. Student data are based on class grades, registration records, and two surveys. The surveys asked for information on preparedness, reasons for section choice, and evaluations of course experience and satisfaction. Using descriptive statistics, regression analysis and standard hypothesis tests, we test for significant differences between the online and lecture sections with regard to performance and satisfaction with the course as well as motivation and preparedness for taking an online course. We report several differences, including better performance by online students.

Teaching composition online: Whose side is time on?

Although online education is at times envisioned as a time-saving enterprise, a recent, mostly anecdotal consensus indicates that, in fact, online education is more labor intensive for the instructor, if not for the student as well. Previous studies both confirm and deny this consensus because they examine different design paradigms that resist comparison. This study compares the workload for a student-centered paradigm in one face-to-face (F2F) and three online sections of the same composition course, and finds that teaching composition online takes almost twice as much time as face-to-face teaching. The major causes of this disparity appear to be hardware and applications, instructional design, and student learner characteristics.

“No significant distance” between face-to-face and online instruction: evidence from principles of economics

This paper describes an experiment focused on measuring and explaining differences in students learning between online and face-to-face modes of instruction in college level principles of economics courses. Our results indicate that students in face-to-face sections scored better on the Test of Understanding College Economics (TUCE) than students in online sections. We find that failure to account for the self-selection of students into online or face-to-face sections biases toward zero the differential in TUCE scores between online and face-to-face students. Online students score a statistically significant 3–6 fewer correct answers, out of 33 questions, than face-to-face students in the selection-corrected model. However, an endogenous switching model finds that students who select into the online classes perform better than they would, all other things constant, in a face-to-face class. Other results suggest caution in using the web to teach underclassmen.

Measuring Online Students' Ability To Apply Programming Theory: Are Web Courses Really Working?

As a response to troubling doubts about the success of Web-delivered courses that include problem solving and critical thinking skills, the authors gathered data from two online sections of the CIS Application Programming with Visual Basic course at Metropolitan State College of Denver over two semesters and compared it with the data from classroom sections. T-tests showed a significant difference in the means of student projects and tests that required application of theory learned. All sections of the course used the same syllabus and assignments and were taught by the same instructor. Internet students scored significantly lower in theory portions of exams and in projects. The authors conclude that more study is needed, but design and delivery of problem solving courses via the Web needs careful attention. INTRODUCTION As we move into the 21 century, educators know that Web courses at institutions everywhere are here to stay. The last decade of the 20 century saw a mad rush to put college courses, and entire college curricula online so that students could earn an entire degree without setting foot on a campus. Initial evaluations and statistical analyses consistently pointed to equality between classroom and the Web courses. Time and again, no significant differences were found in final grades between Web and classroom delivery of courses. The general consensus was that Web courses were working, and that colleges were justified in forging ahead with plans to put entire curricula online. The first courses to be put online in Information Systems departments were generally the lower level elective courses and courses which were survey or retention-oriented courses. That is, the material of the first computer literacy course, the first information systems survey course, introduction to the Internet, productivity software courses, and self-paced courses was simpler to port to the Web environment. An average knowledge of instructional design and a crash course in Web page editing with Front Page®, or even Web CT® or other course authoring software, was enough to move these “to-do list” type of courses to the Web. The actual content of the course was not within the Web pages of the course, but in textbooks and assigned readings listed on the course Web pages. When faced with putting courses that involve problem solving and higher analytical reasoning on the Web, there was concern that the initial success of the first Internet courses would not be repeated. Was there something missing? If so, it should be identified and action could be taken. It was time to re-examine the first successes of Web course deployment, and move to examining online courses in more depth. Are all Web courses working? And if not, why?

A study of faculty effort in online teaching

It is a commonly held opinion by faculty that teaching online takes considerably more time than traditional face-to-face instruction. But there is a dearth of quantitative data to either support or disprove this belief. This paper presents the results of a study that involved the logging of instructor time for seven comparable pairs of online and traditional course sections to support a comparison of effort expenditure between the two modes of delivery. The results of the study are evaluated with respect to the total effort expended by faculty and the pattern of effort expenditure over time. The data indicate that the total time expended by instructors in this study was actually less for the online sections as compared with the traditional sections, but when the data are normalized for class size, the amount of instructor effort expended per student was approximately equivalent for both modes of delivery.

Learning Environments and Learning Styles: Non-traditional Student Enrollment and Success in an Internet-based Versus a Lecture-based Computer Science Course

Colleges and universities are increasingly using information technologies to enhance the learning environment. Many educational institutions offer Internet-based on-line courses in an effort to meet the educational needs of students. The primary goal of this research was to determine if there is a relationship between students' preferred learning environment (i.e. face-to-face or on-line) and their learning style. The secondary goal was to determine if there were any differences in the academic success of students in the face-to-face versus on-line sections. Participants were adult (ages 22+ years), non-traditional computer science students given the option to take a face-to-face lecture-based or an on-line Internet-based computer science course. Results revealed that computer science students in the face-to-face learning environment were more likely to have the Assimilator learning-style, whereas computer science students in the on-line Internet-based learning environment were more likely to have the Converger learning-style. Student academic success did not reliably differ as a function of learning environment selection. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of learning style characteristics of computer science students, learning styles and gender differences and implications of student academic success in on-line vs face-to-face environments.

Information Trumps Interaction in Local Papers' Online Caucus Coverage

Both the conduct and coverage of politics took to the Internet during the 2000 elections. While major media organizations created massive online products, smaller U.S. newspapers also sought to cover the campaign effectively through their Web sites. As the political bandwagon rolled through each state, a national story became a local one for these papers. The first newspapers forced to figure out what they could or should do online were those in Iowa, site of the caucus that kicks off the presidential campaign. Five Iowa dailies established online sections devoted to political or caucus coverage. Their challenge was to take advantage of the medium's attributes to offer more than the print product contained--thereby setting a benchmark for their small and mid-sized counterparts around the nation. By 2000, 75 million Americans were online, (1) and the Internet had become a major source of political information. (2) Its interactive capabilities are especially intriguing to scholars. (3) The medium seems to offer a way to reinvigorate community involvement in general and political involvement in particular--an electronic version of the sphere, (4) where opinion is formed through discourse among individuals who come together to create a public. The Internet's inherent interactivity and potential for lateral communication contribute to what could be a new frontier of direct democracy. (5) Yet in reality, it has not been widely used in this way. (6) Newspapers have struggled with a potential transition from their role as guardians of what enters the public sphere to builders of a virtual commons. As recently as 1998, interactive offerings by online newspapers were relatively few and token in nature, with smaller papers especially reluctant to provide them. (7) Today, newspapers display a growing range of online features that are not a part of their print products. (8) This exploratory study looks at how editors' views of the political role of online papers shaped local coverage of the first major event of the 2000 presidential campaign. Interactive and non-interactive features are examined, and editors are interrogated about their sites. Are editors beginning to interpret their online role as facilitating citizen engagement, or do they continue to see themselves mainly as providers of information that citizens can apply to political decisions? Method The focus of this study was on newspapers for which the caucus was a community event. All five Iowa dailies that devoted a portion of their Web site specifically to caucus coverage were included. They are the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Des Moines Register, Sioux City Journal and Waterloo Courier, along with IowaPulse; the latter, a joint project of several Lee Enterprises papers, was produced primarily by the Quad City Times in Davenport. The researcher recorded the type of content each of the sites contained on each of six Mondays: four preceding the caucus, caucus day itself (24 January 2000), and the Monday after the caucus. This study is not a formal content analysis but rather an attempt to categorize the nature of online offerings as interactive (incorporating input from users) or non-interactive (offering one-way information). Participation in polls or discussion groups also was recorded. The editor of each site subsequently was interviewed about the caucus coverage. Editors were asked what they saw as their newspaper's online role in the political arena and what they believed they had learned from their 2000 coverage. The interviews especially sought to elicit discussion about interactive aspects of their sites. Results Non-interactive content All five online newspapers provided caucus shovelware, or stories that also appeared in print, (9) including an enhanced-value version in the form of free archives of previous stories. …