Online Education Schools

Education Long Distance Style

To assess the effectiveness of the online course at the online education schools, certain research questions needed to be answered. Following are four research questions addressed in this study:

1. Was the effectiveness of the on-line course equivalent to that of the traditional course?
2. What factors were associated with the final course score of students in the traditional course?
3. What factors were associated with the final course score of students in the on-line course?
4. Did the factors associated with the final course score, if any, have a similar impact on the traditional course and the on-line course?

The first research question compared the effectiveness of the two modes of instruction. This question was addressed in two ways. First, student performance was assessed through a comparison of the average course score for the two modes of instruction--one prior to offering the on-line option and one after. The Course Score was calculated at the end of the semester as a weighted average of 3 exams (90%) and on-line homework (10%). Second, the relationship of Course Score to Absence Rate was analyzed for the on-line course. The student's absence rate was measured during the course. Theoretically, the performance of students in the course with the on-line option should not be a function of attendance (as it might be in the course without the online option). This could be considered a measure of the effectiveness of using an on-line option as a substitute for in-class lecture attendance.

The second research question examined factors that might be associated with the final Course Score in the traditional course. This was addressed by examining the impact of the factors of student Grade Point Average (GPA) and Absence Rate on the final Course Score. Student GPA was obtained from student records.

The third research question, which examined the factors that might be associated with the final Course Score in the on-line course, was addressed by examining GPA and Absence Rate as well as other factors derived from the questionnaire. The factors from the questionnaire included Computer Ownership, Computer Skills, Skills in On-line Education, Computer Use, Internet Use, Comfort With Computers, Age, Work Experience, and Distance From Campus. The questionnaire, which consisted of questions and Likert-scaled statements, is included in the Appendix. The questionnaire was administered during the first 2 weeks of class to students in the on-line course. Data for the additional factors were available only from the on-line course, but most of the factors dealt with aspects of on-line education and were not applicable to the traditional course.