The purpose of this study is to explore the new popularity of distance learning through online courses and determine whether DePaul University students find online courses to be more beneficial then traditional, onsite courses with regular meeting times. Additional hypothesis were implemented to test if students receive higher grades in classes taught online, while still receiving a high quality education. The methodology used required DePaul students to participate in an online survey, answering relative questions. Although the only participants were members of this class, the small sample size was actually beneficial since we were able to ensure that all members are currently enrolled in an online course.
The study found that the majority of students enrolled in HCI 201 prefer online classes as opposed to traditional classes. The results also show that the participants tend to score higher in online classes, which was consistent with my main hypothesis. Almost all of the 23 participants also claimed that if given the choice to re-take the class, either online or in a traditional classroom, they would choose to take the class online. That shows that the majority of students in HCI 201 find online learning to be effective and useful.
Study by: Alyssa Schmiege