RUNNING HEAD: AN INSTRUCTIONAL COMPARISON BETWEEN
An Instructional Comparison between Face-to-Face and On-line Learning
By: Lori Ann Long
East Carolina University
May 3, 2009
ABSTRACT
In this study we will investigate and compare two types of course sections. One section will be online and the other will be face-to-face. The investigators will analyze gender, age and learning styles. These groups will be evaluated on how effective they were in completing the tasks of the course. The two sections will be taught in the same semester and use the same instructional material. In this paper, the investigators determined that there were no significant differences in test scores,
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From these research questions several hypotheses have aspired answers:
Between these two groups, no significant difference is perceived in the effectiveness of these instructional learning styles.
There are no significant differences between the styles of instructional learning in the competencies of this course to either group. There are no differences between the test scores and final grades for either group.
There is no difference between the effectiveness that was perceived from the courses from either group.
Student Selection The study selections for students were open to different ages and gender. The course outline was the same FTF as for the OL course. The demographics for these groups show that the students registered for the OL classes were a little older than the students registered in the FTF class (Diaz & Cartnal, 1999). Each group would be given the same instructional course outline, test, and final project. A variable that might affect this study is whether a student selects an OL course over an FTF course due to their experience with technology. The demographics for this group ranges with experience with technology are as followed:
Demographic
Face-to-Face
Online
Employed
92%
97%
Employed more than 10 years
41%
46%
Male/Female ratio
60/40
20/80
Nontraditional (>22 years)
60%
73% Methodology of the Study Each group was given a pre-course
Bearing this in mind the different groups of learners, visual (where the learner finds observing a task and then repeating it easier), auditory (where the learner explanations of what to do easier) and kinaestic (where the student learns by experience and doing the task themselves) and having opportunities for all types of learners and combining more than one type in your scheme of work, will ensure equality in your teaching practice.
With all the publicity over online courses, great professors alike have been determined to find out whether online courses are just as effective as face-to-face classes. There have been some controversies over the situation; therefore, several studies have been made. One study by Adam Driscoll, Karl Jicha, Andrea Hunt, Lisa Tichavsky, and Greatchen Thompson shows that given the appropriate pedagogy or instruction, online courses is just as an effective teaching format as face-to-face classes (Driscoll, Jicha, Hunt, Tichavsky, & Thompson, 2012). The study showed that when comparing online courses against face-to-face courses, the midterm scores for both teaching platforms are the same. Given that the GPA of the students is taken into consideration, the test grades do not improve or become worse when the class is taken online. The same study showed that when comparing online courses to face-to-face courses, the student satisfaction does not increase or decrease when
“Just as students have different personalities, they also have different ways of learing (Slavin, 107).” Learning styles are another important factor to incorporate when implementing the best learning environment. Learning styles are defined as an individual's mode of gaining knowledge. The most common learning styles addressed are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Auditory leaners understand information through hearing. Visual learners need more visual aids in the learning process, such as diagrams, webs, or pictures. Kinesthetic learners learn better by using manipulatives or by being physically involved in the learning process. Learning styles is a piece of the “backbone” of differentiated learning. Both are used to individualize instruction to help students achieve the most success.
This assessment is vital and is an integral part in the learner and tutors planning. Ensuring that your learners preferred style is embedded in the lesson plan (differentiation) can ensure that the learner’s motivation is continued. There are no right and wrong answers but in some cases there is not always a clear result, many learners may have a mix. However this could be seen as a positive when teaching a larger group as you can embed all three learning styles ensuring that a larger number will participate therefore keeping learners motivated and achieving goals and also progressing.
i. Understanding the learners learning styles can make my course to be engaging. Flemming (1987) noted three different styles of learning; visual, kinaesthetic and aural. In order to know which method(s) to use to benefit my students the first lesson on my course will centre around discussions on what they already know, the resources they are familiar with, and a learning style questionnaire which will provide me with information on preferred learning styles. Effectiveness can also be enhanced if I adapt my teaching style to give maximum benefit to learners.
The student data file was used as the data source. The sample size included one hundred men and one hundred women. Thirty-five out of one hundred men had not declared for a degree. Fifteen out of one hundred women had not declared for a degree. The level of
The dependent variable in this study is the test scores of the students who use the learning approaches. The independent variable is the application of multimedia materials when teaching the content to the students along with the amount of time that they get exposure to the multimedia presentations. In this particular experiment, it is more relevant and correct for the instructor to utilize a between-subject design instead of a within-subject design. The between-subject design allows for the administration of the same information to all the subjects in both groups at once and only once (Shuttleworth, M., 2009). If the within-subject design were applied, then the students would be exposed to the same content twice, which could possibly cause them to earn higher scores on the second test, which would invalidate the data since students could recall some of the information from the first test (Shuttleworth, M., 2009). Now that the basic experimental design is understood, it is time to discuss the specific details of the experiment. To conduct the experiment in the most unbiased way, the students in a classroom must be randomly selected for the study and randomly assigned to different groups of the design. Random assignment means that every selected student has the same probability of being placed into either one of the groups. The control would be the group that utilizes the original textbook approach. On the
The other courses had all of the work assigned from the beginning, and the teachers never posted anything in their “News” forums.
Each child has a personal learning style that results from innate tendencies and environmental experiences. In every culture and ethnic group, individuality is more common than any general pattern. But because cultural groups often share common values, the experiences of children growing up with those values are reflected in their classroom learning behaviors. The philosophy of learning styles is based on three major grounds are , all students can learn, they learn differently, and learn better when they are taught in their specific learning style .Research indicates that African - American students are often described as being physically active, valuing verbal experience, and engaging on personal relationships. Hispanic students are often
To summarize, the topic presented in this article is about online courses which are widely used in colleges providing easy access to course materials, classroom discussions, and feedback to instructors. The course materials and activities may be accessed from any computer, whether it is from the University or from the comfort of your own home.
Many students have a difficult time choosing between online education and traditional education. Both styles of education offer advantages and disadvantages to the student. There are many things to consider when making this life altering decision, such as, cost, convenience, time, social interaction, and technology. This information is meant to inform prospective students looking to further their education of the pros and cons of both online education and traditional education. Taking the steps to further your education is a big decision and one that should not be taken lightly. One should weigh all of his/her options and be well informed and certain of their choice before taking that leap.
There are various instructional approaches but one that is widely employed by many teachers is the direct instruction approach. This is the classic teaching style that many people remember during K-12 grade school. The teacher would stand in front of the class lecturing while writing on the black board. That is why direct instruction is also known as “Chalk and Talk” (Evans, 2006). Direct instruction is not out of date and is still appropriate in many situations today. The following will discuss direct instruction and a few scenarios in which this teaching approach is appropriate.
For years, there have been many theorists who have shared their views on how individuals learn. Such research has determined that individuals have different learning styles. It is important for teacher to understand the learning styles of both themselves and their students because it helps them to relay the subject knowledge to the students. The teacher is in a position where they must be able to assess the learning styles of their students. This means that the students and teachers are both in a process of learning.
Willingham, D. T., Hughes, E. M., & Dobolyi, D. G. (2015). The scientific status of learning styles theories. Teaching of Psychology, 42(3), 266-271. doi:10.1177/0098628315589505
Education has undergone significant changes because of the development of information and communication technology over the 21st century (Lin & Jou, 2012:2). As a convenient and inexpensive way to gain knowledge while pursuing higher education, online learning, a form of training or teaching that takes place over the Internet, has been considered as an alternative to traditional classroom learning (Zhang et al, 2004). This essay will argue that even though online learning has benefit such as flexibility which could outweigh traditional learning, traditional classroom learning might still not be entirely replaced. This essay will discuss positive and negative aspects of online and traditional learning in terms of four criteria: