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A Tale of Two Classes: Face-to-Face versus Online

Proceeding

ABSTRACT

A study of student achievement and satisfaction in two sections of an advanced computer science course, one face-to-face and the other online. 

PROCEEDING

Are the distinctions between classroom, web-based, and online learning disappearing? The effect of the instructional media on student achievement has been vigorously debated in articles with expressive titles such as: "The 'No Significant Difference' Phenomenon" (Russell, 1997), "A Significant Difference" (Orr, 1997), "What's the Difference?" (Phipps & Merisotis, 1999), and "The Difference Frenzy and Matching Buckshot for Buckshot" (Brown & Wack, 1999). To explore the distinction between classroom and online learning, a study was conducted of student achievement and satisfaction in two sections of an advanced computer science course. Both sections were taught by the same instructor, one online and the other face-to-face. All students used the same textbook, had access to the same web-based resources, and completed the same assignments. The face-to-face section had 150 minutes of lecture per week and students had the opportunity to ask questions during this time. The online section was provided with lecture notes and students asked questions via e-mail or phone. The on-line section was composed of eight undergraduate students and eight graduate students, while the face-to-face section was composed of 15 undergraduate students and 11 graduate students.

Student achievement was measured by the total points earned by the student. The achievement in both sections was equivalent to earning a grade of B+. The average number of points earned by students in the online section was 277 out of 310 possible points, 89.4%. The average number of points earned by students in the face-to-face section was 270 out of 310 possible points, 87.2%.

Students completed a short survey in which they rated their level of satisfaction on a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from 5 for "very satisfied" to 1 for "very dissatisfied". Both the online and face-to-face students reported that they were satisfied with the course (M = 4.20 & M = 4.25) and the content material provided on the course website (M = 4.22 & M = 4.10). The online students used the web resources substantially more than the face-to-face students (M = 486 page assesses & M = 290 page accesses). Student/teacher communication is critical and both sections were more than satisfied with access to the instructor (M = 4.67 & M = 4.70). The overall satisfaction level of both sections was almost identical.

Student Satisfaction with Various Aspects of the Course

Note: 5 = Very Satisfied, 1 = Very Dissatisfied

The online section reported they were likely to take another online course (M = 4.0, SD = 0.5), while the face-to-face section was tentative (M = 3.06, SD = 1.30). Both sections cited a flexible schedule as the main advantage of taking an online course and missing the lecture format as the major disadvantage.

As often happens, there were no statistically significant differences in achievement or satisfaction between the two sections. "Effectiveness studies have been quite consistent in showing that when used in business, military training, and adult learning, there is no significant difference between distance learning and traditional instructional methods, and student attitudes are generally positive about the experience." (Distance Learning Fact Sheet, 1997) 

References

Brown, G., & Wack, M. (1999). The difference frenzy and matching buckshot for buckshot [Online], 4 pages. Available: http://horizon.unc.edu/TS/reading/1999-05.asp [1999, May 11].

Distance learning fact sheet (1997). [Online], 2 pages. Available: http://gopher.usdla.org/dl.html [1997, Oct. 15].

Orr, B. (1997). A significant difference [Online], 5 pages. Available: http://teleeducation.nb.ca/anygood/asigdiff.shtml [1998, Jan. 31].

Phipps, R., & Merisotis, J. (1999). What's the difference? A review of contemporary research on the effectiveness of distance learning in higher education. A Report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy, April 1999 [Online], 42 pages. Available: http://www.ihep.com/PUB.htm [1999, June 20]. 

Russell, T. I. (1997). The "no significant difference" phenomenon [Online], 17 pages. Available: http://teleeducation.nb.ca/phenom/ [1998, Jan. 31].