Online vs. Traditional Classroom Education

Online vs. Traditional Classroom Education

Introduction

Web-based education, because of its convenience, has become an important delivery method across multiple higher education contexts. In particular, online courses offer time and space flexibility that enable working adults to continue to keep their full-time jobs while earning college credits. As a result of this growing demand, junior and community colleges as well as 4-year colleges and universities continually seek to expand their online course and program offerings. Several studies have been conducted comparing student satisfaction with online courses and traditional classroom courses, but have yielded discrepant results.

Problem

This study will postulate that there are essential differences in the levels of student satisfaction between online courses and traditional classroom courses.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine existing empirical studies to determine whether there was a systematic difference in student satisfaction with online courses versus face-to-face classroom courses.

Research Questions

Three primary research questions will be addressed in this study.

Q1. To what extent, if any, is there a difference in student satisfaction in online courses versus traditional classroom courses?

Q2. What is the relationship, if any, between subject area and student satisfaction in online courses versus traditional classroom courses?

Q3. What is the relationship, if any, between institution type and student satisfaction student satisfaction in online courses versus traditional classroom courses?

Objectives

There will be three null hypotheses and three alternative hypotheses in the study, corresponding to the three research questions stated above.

H10. There is no difference in student satisfaction in online courses and traditional classroom courses.

H1a. There is a difference in student satisfaction in online courses and traditional classroom courses.

H20. Subject area does not impact the difference in student satisfaction in online courses and traditional classroom courses.

H2a. Subject area impacts the difference in student satisfaction in online courses and traditional classroom courses.

H3o. Institution type does not impact the difference in student satisfaction in online courses and traditional classroom courses.

H3a. Institution type impacts the difference in student satisfaction in online courses and traditional classroom courses.

Review of Literature

The main purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there are systematic differences in student satisfaction with online courses and traditional classroom courses. It is also possible that any such differences are not general differences but rather dependent on either (a) the subject matter taught, or (b) the type of institution (junior college/community College versus 4-year colleges and universities). Examining these possibilities represents the secondary purpose of this study.

The current chapter presents a review of the literature relevant to this study and consists of several sections. Initially, the components of online and empirical studies of online programs are reviewed. The theoretical models relevant to this study (the theory of andragogy, the adult learning model, and the learner-centered model) are examined in the next sections. Methods of course evaluation (including student assessment) in online courses are discussed. Then, studies that have compared student course perceptions between online and traditional courses, particularly perceptions related to course satisfaction are ...