Online vs. Face-To-Face Instruction: Determining

¶ … Online vs. face-to-Face Instruction: Determining Quality

Technology-based learning is a fundamentally new and potentially transformational aspect of post-secondary education. The promise of technology for post-secondary education reads something like this: there are millions of potential students college students all over the nation but many are challenged by issues of access, distance to campuses and most importantly distance from instructors who could teach them. Distance-based education via computer uplinks or even online could clearly respond to this question. Yet, the concern on the part of many is that quality is at stake, as some researchers ask if the instruction that individuals receive from online education is equivalent in quality to that which they receive in a traditional face-to-face setting? The benefits and drawbacks of online teaching vs. face-to-face teaching are debated frequently and yet it is important to note that the goal of instructors is to for students to achieve success and for the format of their teaching be the best possible format for students achieving success.

Several research studies have been conducted to respond to this question as evidenced by the ability of researchers to conduct a meta-analysis of literature on the subject of online education vs. face-to-face regarding the question of student achievement. In this work and others there is a claim made that based mainly on grade outcomes students actually do better in distance education courses vs. face-to-face courses. (Jahng, Krug, & Zhang, 2005) Yet, this researcher believes that grades alone do not determine quality of learning. For that reason this work will propose a qualitative science theoretical model where the issue is researched based on more than grades alone. Two courses, one taught face-to-face and one taught via online methods, will be compared based on skills outcomes testing.

The course material will be remedial math, as remedial education has become an essential aspect of post-secondary teaching, especially in community colleges where many students are entering post-secondary education as non-traditional students or simply after not having achieved a post secondary level of education in secondary school. Calcagno & Long note that between 35-40% of all first-time college students enter college into some form of remediation, be it reading, math or writing. (Calcagno & Long, 2008)in other words the post-secondary school has recognized a need to help students review and build math concepts that they did not acquire earlier and some institutions see distance education and online courses as one of the best ways to do this. (McJunkin, 2005) This qualitative scientific study will therefore look at remedial math as there is also evidence that math teaching and especially math teaching to remedial students requires additional time and focus on the part of the instructor, therefore lending itself to the idea that remedial math may better lend itself to face-to-face teaching. (Cole, 2001, p. 75)

The qualitative scientific theoretical model (Shank, 2006, pp. 97-101) best exemplifies the demands of this theory-based research as qualitative inquiry, i.e. subjective data might not explain the issue, with regard to anything but perception by students and instructors as to the effectiveness of the course. In other words the qualitative scientific theoretical model would best demonstrate an answer to the issue of quality, in a manner than can be generalized. It is accepted that math understanding is the best indicator of how well an individual understands and can work within math concepts, therefore pre-testing through remedial testing and then a comparison of post-testing (a repeat of the progressive computer-based math placement test) would better indicate success and/or failure of the students to grasp math concepts. The results would then allow the two classes, face-to-face vs. online to be compared on an equal footing. The hope would be that at least 100 student participants (from the two courses) could be compared to create a large enough sample to adequately analyze the theory ie. that remedial math education is better served by face-to-face instruction. This thesis will serve to pose questions for further research and will help instructors better understand the pros and cons of online vs. face-to-face teaching.

Resources

Calcagno, J.C. & Long, B.T. (April 2008) the Impact of Postsecondary Remediation Using a Regression Discontinuity Approach: Addressing Endogenous Sorting and Noncompliance: An NCPR Working Paper. Retrieved April 17, 2010 at: http://www.postsecondaryresearch.org/i/a/document/8162_CalcagnoLongRevised.pdf