Sultan Qaboos University

College of Education

ILT Department

Comparative and non-Comparative

Studies

Done by:

Khadeeja Al-Shidhani 61344

Amal Al-Balushi 66755

Comparative Analysis of Learner Satisfaction and Learning Outcomes in Online

and Face-to-Face Learning Environments

Scottd. Johnson, Steven R. Aragon, Najmuddin Shaik, & Nilda Palma-Rivas

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Type:

Perception and performance study.

Research Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to compare an online course with an equivalent

course taught in a traditional face-to-face format. Comparisons included student ratings

of instructor and course quality; assessment of course interaction, structure, and support;

and learning outcomes such as course projects, grades, and student self-assessment of

their ability to perform various ISD tasks.

Research Questions:

1. What differences exist in satisfaction with the learning experience of

students enrolled in online versus face-to-face learning environments?

2. What differences exist in student perceptions of student/instructor

interaction, course structure, and course support between students enrolled

in online versus face-to-face learning environments?

3. What differences exist in the learning outcomes (i.e., perceived content

knowledge, quality of course projects, and final course grades) of students

enrolled in online versus face-to-face learning environments?

Subject:

The subject of this study includes 38 students enrolled in an instructional design

course. 19 students were taught face-to-face while the other 19 students were taught

online.

Instruments:

The university’s Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) was

used to obtain general student perceptions of the quality of their learning

experience.

The Course Interaction, Structure, and Support (CISS) instrument which

is a hybrid instrument from:

o The Distance and Open Learning Scale (DOLES) instrument

which used to assess student perceptions of their learning

experience.

o The Dimensions of Distance Education (DDE) instrument which

provides a further assessment of the learning environment.

Advantages:

More than one instrument was used to collect data.

Disadvantages:

Only tools for quantitative analysis were used without using of any type of

qualitative analysis tools.

Results:

1. Student Satisfaction: On the student satisfaction indicators, instructor

quality and course quality, both groups provided positive ratings, although

the face-to-face group displayed more positive views than the online

group.

2. Perceptions of course interaction, structure and support: Overall, both

groups of students had positive perceptions, with the face-to-face students

having significantly more positive views for interaction and support.

3. Learning Outcomes (Course grades):

Course Format nCourse Grade

A % B % C % I %

Face-to-Face 19 13 68% 2 11% 2 11% 2 11%

Online 19 13 68% 1 6% 2 11% 3 16%

Total 38 26 68% 3 8% 4 11% 5 13%

References:

http://www.editlib.org/index.cfm?

fuseaction=Reader.ViewFullText&paper_id=8371

Evaluation of the development of metacognitive knowledge supported by the

knowcat system

Manoli Pifarre´ . Ruth Cobos

Association for Educational Communications and Technology 2009

Research type:

non-comparative

The aim of this Research:

was to examine the development of the metacognitive knowledge of a group of higher

education students who participated actively in an experiment based on a Computer

Supported Collaborative Learning environment called KnowCat.

Research methodology

Participants:

Eighteen university students participated in the research.

Instrument:

The interviewer asked students to describe their learning processes

and contextual interpretations of their interactions to the content of

the two main KnowCat knowledge elements: interactions with the

documents (access to others’ documents and document versions) and

interactions with the notes (sent and received notes).

Disadvantages:

The researchers have used interviews as the only tool for qualitative

evaluation, without any quantitative evaluation tool.

Research results:

The interview data show that interactions of students with their

classmates’ documents encourage them to compare their own

cognitive strategies to solve the task with the others’.

Results also show that students are aware of how the characteristics of

the KnowCat educational process had a strong incidence in their

cognition-metacognitive knowledge of task and context category.

Results revealed a high level of awareness that students received

through note contribution as it proved to be a unique opportunity to

monitor and regulate their cognitive strategies to solve the task.

These results show evidence that the KnowCat note knowledge

element was helpful in assisting students develop constituent

components of metacognition i.e., planning, monitoring, evaluating

and revising their learning activities to solve the tasks efficiently.

Reference: http://www.springerlink.com/content/87v06t9523380k72/