A Comparative Analysis of Online and Traditional Undergraduate Business Law Classes

Author(s):  
Daniel J. Shelley ◽  
Louis B. Swartz ◽  
Michele T. Cole

The trend in academia to online learning has gained momentum in the past decade, due in part to the cost of higher education, a changing student profile, lack of traditional classroom space and the recognition that distance learning has created a new paradigm of instruction. Universities wishing to maintain or expand enrollments need to be able to respond effectively to the educational needs of working adults, students in the military and residents of rural communities as well as of other countries. Online (Internet-based) course offerings constitute a creative and increasingly popular response to these challenges. As more and more institutions of higher learning offer online courses, the question arises whether they are, or can be, as effective as courses offered in the traditional classroom format. Answering the question has been the focus of several studies. Our study compared students enrolled in both online and traditional classroom versions of one business law course where all elements were the same except for the instruction format. The study found no significant difference between the two formats with regard to student satisfaction and student learning. The findings support earlier comparisons of online and traditional instruction modes

Author(s):  
Daniel J. Shelley

E-learning and e-pedagogy continues to grow in importance in the delivery of higher education, due in part to the cost of higher education, a changing student profile, scarcity of traditional classroom space, and the recognition that distance learning has created a genuinely new paradigm of instruction. To respond to the changing student demographics, working adults, students in the military and residents of rural communities as well as of other countries, more and more universities are including online (internet-based) course offerings to their core offerings. As they do, the question arises whether online instruction is, or can be, as effective as classroom instruction. Investigating the question has been the focus of several studies. Our studies compared students enrolled in both online and traditional classroom versions of one business law course where all elements were the same except for the instruction format. The first study found no significant difference between the two formats with regard to student satisfaction and student learning, supporting earlier comparisons of online and traditional instruction modes. However, the second study did find statistically significant differences between the online and the traditional course formats with regard to student satisfaction with the instructor, and student satisfaction with the course structure.


Author(s):  
Louis B. Swartz ◽  
Michele T. Cole ◽  
Daniel J. Shelley

To remain competitive, expand access to education, and meet the needs of students, institutions of higher education are offering larger numbers of online courses. As online instruction increases, educational institutions, students and society need to make sure that online courses and programs are as effective as traditional classroom courses and educational programs. To address this need, this paper focuses on the question, “Are online courses and programs as effective as those taught in the classroom?” Numerous authors have addressed the question of the effectiveness of online classes (Keegan, D., 1996; Russell, T., 1999; Schulman, A.H. and Sims, R.L., 1999; Harasim, L. 2000; Ryan, R.C. 2000; Rivera, J.C. and Rice, M.L., 2002; Bernard, R.M., et al, 2004; Frantz, P.L. and Wilson, A.H., 2004; Suanpang, P., Petocz, P. and Kalceff, W., 2004; Fjermestad, Hiltz, S. and Zhang, Y. 2005; Weaver-Kaulis, A. and Crutsinger, C., 2006). Most studies center on student satisfaction and/or student learning. The studies have produced mixed results. This paper provides a summary of a number of important studies on the effectiveness of online courses and educational programs. It synthesizes the results from the studies and presents possible reasons for the differences in findings. It concludes with a discussion of future trends and suggestions for areas of further study.


Author(s):  
Tim Klaus ◽  
Chuleeporn Changchit

Technology can be a useful tool to educate students. Online courses take advantage of these tools and provide students with the flexibility to complete the courses remotely. However, student perceptions of online classes will not be the same as they complete the course remotely, rather than interacting with other students and the instructor in a traditional classroom. This study seeks to better understand the factors of the online course environment and examines the impact that various online environmental factors have on student satisfaction. This study identifies factors that affect students' satisfaction toward the online class. These findings should help instructors teaching online classes concentrate more on factors that are considered to be important to their students.


2010 ◽  
pp. 222-227
Author(s):  
Louis B. Swartz ◽  
Michele T. Cole ◽  
Daniel J. Shelley

To remain competitive, expand access to education, and meet the needs of students, institutions of higher education are offering larger numbers of online courses. Asonline instruction increases, educational institutions, students and society need to make sure that onlinecourses and programs are as effective as traditional classroom courses and educational programs. To address this need, this paper focuses on the question, “Are onlinecourses and programs as effective as those taught in the classroom?” Numerous authors have addressed the question of the effectiveness of online classes (Keegan, D., 1996; Russell, T., 1999; Schulman, A.H. and Sims, R.L., 1999; Harasim, L. 2000; Ryan, R.C. 2000; Rivera, J.C. and Rice, M.L., 2002; Bernard, R.M., et al, 2004; Frantz, P.L. and Wilson, A.H., 2004; Suanpang, P., Petocz, P. and Kalceff, W., 2004; Fjermestad, Hiltz, S. and Zhang, Y. 2005; Weaver-Kaulis, A. and Crutsinger, C., 2006). Most studies center on student satisfaction and/or student learning. The studies have produced mixed results. This paper provides a summary of a number of important studies on theeffectiveness of online courses and educational programs. It synthesizes the results from the studies and presents possible reasons for the differences in findings. It concludes with a discussion of future trends and suggestions for areas of further study.


2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Ice ◽  
Angela M. Gibson ◽  
Wally Boston ◽  
Dave Becher

Though online enrollments continue to accelerate at a rapid pace, there is significant concern over student retention. With drop rates significantly higher than in face-to-face classes it is imperative that online providers develop an understanding of factors that lead students to disenroll. This study examines course-level disenrollment through the lens of student satisfaction with the projection of Teaching, Social and Cognitive Presence. In comparing the highest and lowest disenrollment quartiles of all courses at American Public University the value of effective Instructional Design and Organization, and initiation of the Triggering Event phase of Cognitive Presence were found to be significant predictors of student satisfaction in the lowest disenrollment quartile. For the highest disenrollment quartile, the lack of follow-through vis-à-vis Facilitation of Discourse and Cognitive Integration were found to be negative predictors of student satisfaction.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-138
Author(s):  
ssang-cheol Lee ◽  
◽  
Jeong-a Kim ◽  

Author(s):  
Robert F. Siegle ◽  
Rod D. Roscoe ◽  
Noah L. Schroeder ◽  
Scotty D. Craig

The expansion of online education into massive open online courses (MOOCs) and equipment have created a unique opportunity for delivering immersive learning experiences at scale. However, although the inclusivity of the MOOC ecosystem can be commended, many online courses lack key benefits associated with traditional classroom environments: immersive, engaging, and team-driven learning opportunities. Immersive learning environments (ILEs) address these educational gaps but has not been able to operate at the broad scale that MOOCs offer. Importantly, ILEs address opportunities missing from MOOC systems, they add unique learning opportunities that would also be missing in a traditional classroom. The inclusion of this virtual reality technology is pivotal topic for educational research. This theoretical paper will briefly define immersive learning environments and the potential benefits of incorporating immersive learning environments into scalable educational systems. We will also consider developers constraints on creating these online ecosystem and suggested strategies for overcoming them.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Venugopal Prabhakar Gantasala ◽  
Swapna Bhargavi Gantasala ◽  
Tareq Na'el Al Tawil ◽  
Prerana Prasad

PurposeThe intention for this study was to explore any relationship that might exist between quality of learning experience (QLE), the second construct student satisfaction (SS) and the third construct perceived overall experience (POE) among undergraduate students within the higher education context. This study also attempts to explain the path direction between QLE, SS and POE.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers utilized structural equation modeling to analyze the variables considered for this study – QLE, SS and POE and for hypotheses testing. Respondents for this study were medical students' coordinators of the undergraduate level of medical colleges in the 28 states of India. Data collected for the study were possible by utilizing a questionnaire that was emailed to these student coordinators. The emailing effort returned 198 (n) filled questionnaires (complete) representing 198 institutions offering undergraduate-level medical programs out of a total of 542 institutions that offer undergraduate medical programs.FindingsFindings from this study confirm the relationship between QLE with SS, and PLE. Interestingly, the findings established a significant relationship between SS and POE.Practical implicationsDecision-makers and administrators of higher education institutions (HEIs) can utilize the findings from this study to focus on strengthening important elements of QLE in ways that positively impact SS and POE of students taking online courses and program offerings. The study reiterates the importance of course content, course structure, lecture-delivery quality, instructor mentoring and student-instructor interactions on SS and POE. The role of SS in reinforcing confirmation, perceived usefulness, perceived openness of the online courses and the perceived reputation was established. This relationship is key to administrators while they focus on improving SS and building on the institutions' reputation in addition to their efforts to support marketing and enrollments during the pandemic.Originality/valueResearchers in the past have examined the relationships between QLE and another construct of this study – SS. Past research has also examined the relationship between QLE and POE. However, there is not enough research exploring the relationship between SS and POE. This study establishes the relationship between SS and POE that benefits decision-makers in higher education.


Author(s):  
Ike Aggraeni ◽  
Saidatul Adnin ◽  
Yuli Astria ◽  
Muhammad Firmansyah ◽  
Yessika Canigia ◽  
...  

Sustainability goals are seeking to jointly improve environmental conditions and the well-being of society. Yet achieving both environmental and human well-being goals remains challenging because improving the material well-being of people can often mean increasing the risk of environmental and ecosystem degradation. An alternative method that may help meet both goals is to target non-monetary determinants of subjective well-being. However. few studies have examined the determinants of subjective well-being in industrializing countries. Here, we report on an analysis examining the determinants of subjective well-being among health, working adults in rural villages in and around forests in the Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. We find there is no significant relationship between subjective well-being and measures of monetary well-being, such as income and assets. Instead, we find age, sex, self-assessed health status, and occupation are significantly associated with subjective well-being. Our results have implications for policies seeking to improve subjective well-being among these populations.


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