Comparative And Non

Comparative and Non-comparative Studies “Comparative analysis of learner satisfaction and learning outcomes in online and face-to-face environment” is a comparative study of “Perception and performance” type of comparative studies. This study was conducted to compare an online course with an equivalent course taught in a traditional face-to-face format in terms of students’ satisfaction and students’ learning outcomes. It was expected that this study will come up with results that will convince many faculty to design and teach internet-based courses because this study will prove that students also learn in online environments. The study was applied in a sample of students enrolled in two courses (online and F2F) of a graduate level instructional design course for human resource development professionals. This group of participants where divided into two equal groups (19 & 19). Each group members have similar academic and demographic background (Age, Job experience and GPA). Data collection was done through applying three instruments: 1.

The university’s System (ICES):

Instructor

and

Course

Evaluation

This instrument was used to measure course quality and instructor efficiency from students’ perspective. 2.

CISS (the Course Interaction, Structure, and Support) instrument: This instrument was developed by modifying two instruments that assess interaction, structure and support. These instruments are: a.

Distance and Open Learning Scale (DOLES)

b. 3.

Dimensions of Distance Education (DDE)

Course Projects, grades and student self-assessment: This part was done to measure student’s achievement of the learning outcomes.

The most interesting part of this study that researchers had used many instruments to collect data and the judgment of qualitative part was given to experts in the field of instructional design, which may increase the reliability of the results and the interpretations of these results. On the other hand, this research didn’t achieve what it is supposed to do (convincing teachers to teach online) because results shows that there is NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE between these two types of teaching what makes it more worse is that F2F students shows more positive attitude than online learners. Results shows that F2F group provides more positive responses to course and instructor quality than online students group; but this difference is not significance. Also, results revealed that there is no significant difference in terms of students’ perception of course structure in both teaching approach while regarding students perception of interaction and support, students in F2F perceived F2F interaction and support more positively than online students. Finally, students in both courses scored almost equally in course project and self assessment. Non-Comparative Study: “Examining Social Presence in online courses in relation to students’ perceived learning and satisfaction” is a noncomparative study. This study was conducted to explore the role of social presence in online learning environments. More specifically it examined the relationship among students’ perception of social presence in online courses, students’ perceived learning and their satisfaction with the instructor. Researcher has demonstrated that social presence not only affects outcomes but also student, and possibly instructor, satisfaction with a course. Teacher immediacy behaviors and

the presence of others are especially important issues for those involved in delivering online education. The participants were students who completed Empire State College’s (ESC) online learning courses in the spring of 2000 and completed the end of semester course survey (n=97). The survey instrument used for this study is based on a social presence scale originally constructed by Gunawardena and Zittle for their research examining social presence as a predictor of satisfaction within computer-mediated conferencing environments. The social presence scale was modified from the original in several ways. The results show that the students with high overall perceptions of social presence scored high in terms of perceived learning and perceived satisfaction with the instructor. Students’ perceptions of social presence overall, moreover, contributed significantly to the predictor equation for students’ perceived learning overall. Gender accounted for some of the variability of students’ overall perception of social presence, while age and number of college credits earned did not account for any of the variability The researcher demonstrated that the Social presence not only affects outcomes but also student, and possibly instructor, satisfaction with a course which makes this important in the field of empirical research

Reference:

1. Jennifer C, R., & Karen, S. (2003). EXAMINING SOCIAL PRESENCE IN ONLINE COURSES IN RELATION TO STUDENTS' PERCEIVED LEARNING AND SATISFACTION. JALN , 68-88. 2. SCOTT D, J., STEVEN R, A., NAJMUDDIN, S., & NILDA, P.-R. (2000). Comparative Analysis of Learner Satisfaction and Learning Outcomes in Online and F2F Learning Environment. Journal of Interactive Learning Research , 29-49.