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 Instructor and Course Evaluation

System (ICES):

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. Dimensions of Distance Education (DDE)

3. 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 non-
comparative 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.