The issue of online and distance education has become much more prevalent in recent years, due to the affordability and flexibility of said education increasing over time. That being said, comparisons to a traditional, on-campus higher education are inevitable, and people wish to know which type of education is preferable. The purpose of this project is to perform a literature review of several texts comparing online education to on-campus education, in order to determine whether or not online education is an enduring and preferable method of education than campus based education. Online education has been an increasingly prevalent option in the past five to ten years, with both private and public universities opening online departments and making college degrees available to those who qualify and will pay tuition (CITE). Institutions such as the Sloan Consortium have established private online learning institutions to provide e-learning solutions for a variety of higher education degrees and certification (Lorenzo & Moore, 2002). Given the increasing use of online education as a means to easily gain an education, as well as opening up education opportunities for some who may not have the time or money to attend a college campus, the subgroup of people gaining online degrees is becoming a more integrated and ubiquitous part of a worldwide population. With that in mind, the quality and efficacy of online education must be evaluated, particularly in comparison to on-campus education, to determine its comparative usefulness. If an online-only education is truly "better" than a campus-based education, in terms of a return on investment (for both cost and time), this must be determined in order to make this assessment available to those considering the two options. The face and direction of higher education is changing from a face-to-face format to a flexible, cost-effective method of learning; the actual quality of education as compared to a campus-based education must be investigated.
In this project, I plan on discussing three distinct topics that relate directly to the subject of online education. First, the literature will define both online and campus-based education, providing explanations of both the nature and content of both types of learning. The second research topic will involve the advantages and disadvantages of online and campus-based educations, respectively, in order to gauge their respective values. Finally, the quality of graduated students from online or campus based educations will be compared, in order to determine which route provides an objectively "better" education. For the purposes of this project, my research methods include a literature review of several studies and academic journals related to the concept of online education. For the studies directly comparing online education to campus-based education, qualitative analysis will be attempted and the results of these various studies will be weighed. From these results and determinations, a cumulative conclusion regarding the aforementioned topics on online education will be made.
List of References:
Allen, M., Mabry, E., Mattrey, M., Bourhis, J., Titsworth, S., & Burrell, N. (2004). Evaluating the effectiveness of distance learning: a comparison using meta-analysis. Journal of Communication 20: 402-422.
Ausburn, L.J. (2004). Course design elements most valued by adult learners in blended online education environments: An American perspective. Educational Media International 41(4).
Bullen, M. (1998) Participation and critical thinking in online university distance education. Journal of Distance Education 13(2).
Carr-Chellman, A., & Duchastel, P. (2000). The ideal online course. British Journal of Education Technology 31(3): 229-241.
Cavanaugh, J. (2005). Teaching online - a time comparison. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 8(1):1-11.
Dede, C. (1995). Emerging technologies and distributed learning. American Journal of Distance Education: 1-26.
Gagne, M. & Shepherd, M. (2001 April). A comparison between a distance and traditional graduate accounting class. T.H.E. Journal.
Garrison, D.R. Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2004). Critical thinking, cognitive presence, and computer conferencing in distance education. Community of Inquiry.
Garrison, R. (2000). Theoretical challenges for distance education in the 21st century: A shift from structural to transactional issues. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 1(1).
Noble, D.F. (1998). Digital diploma mills: The automation of higher education. First Monday 3(1). Retrieved from http://outreach.lib.uic.edu/www/issues/issue3_1/noble/.
Lorenzo, G., & Moore, J. (2002). Five pillars of quality online education. Sloan Consortium Report to the Nation.
Mehlenbacher, B., Miller, C.R., Covington, D., & Larsen, J.S. (2000). Active and interactive learning online: A comparison of web-based and conventional writing classes. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 43(2): 166-184.
Steinweg, S.B., Davis, M.L., & Thomson, W.S. (2005). A comparison of traditional and online instruction in an introduction to special education course. Teacher Education and Special Education 28(1): 62-73.
Suanpang, P., Petocz, P., & Kalceff, W. (2004). Student attitudes to learning business statistics: Comparison of online and traditional methods. Educational Technology & Society 7(3): 9-20.
Volery, T. (2000). Critical success factors in online education. International Journal of Educational Management. 14(5): 216-223.
The issue of online and distance education has become much more prevalent in recent years, due to the affordability and flexibility of said education increasing over time. That being said, comparisons to a traditional, on-campus higher education are inevitable, and people wish to know which type of education is preferable. If an online-only education is truly "better" than a campus-based education, in terms of a return on investment (for both cost and time), this must be determined in order to make this assessment available to those considering the two options. The face and direction of higher education is changing from a face-to-face format to a flexible, cost-effective method of learning; the actual quality of education as compared to a campus-based education must be investigated.
ONLINE SOURCES:
David Coronado. “Online and Traditional Education Through the Eyes of an Undergrad.” Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Apr 10, 2013. http://diverseeducation.com/article/52546/#.
Gregory Ferenstein. “How California’s Online Education Pilot Will End College As We Know It.” TechCrunch Jan 15, 2013. http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/15/how-californias-new-online-education-pilot-will-end-college-as-we-know-it/.
Gardner, Lee and Jeffrey R. Young. “California’s Move Toward MOOCs Sends Shock Waves, but Key Questions Remain Unanswered.” Chronicle of Higher Education Mar 14, 2013. http://chronicle.com/article/A-Bold-Move-Toward-MOOCs-Sends/137903/
Works Cited
“First to Worst: California Education Funding.”
2003.<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTtAdJi1AjQ>.
