Comparing Learning Outcomes and Satisfaction of an Online Algebra-Based Physics Course with a Face-to-Face Course
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Comparing Learning Outcomes and Satisfaction of an Online Algebra‑Based Physics Course with a Face‑to‑Face Course Elmar Bergeler1 · Michelle F. Read2 Accepted: 22 October 2020 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract This study aimed to compare the online and face-to-face teaching of a required algebra-based physics course for non-physics majors in large-enrollment course sections. The study design is quasi-experimental; the students self-selected to enroll in either the fully online and asynchronous course or the face-to-face course. In this study, we look at pre- and post-surveys, test grades, and course grades. A total of 116 students from both the face-to-face version (n = 76) and the online version (n = 40) of the course participated in this study. Both courses were taught by the same instructor and covered the same topics using identical homework, quizzes, and tests to ensure comparison fidelity. Findings show that general physics students do equally well in both face-to-face and online versions of the course. However, online students show a higher rate of satisfaction of the course. Keywords Distance learning · Face-to-face versus online learning outcomes · Online learning · Post-secondary education · Science education · Student satisfaction
Background Many public universities are moving towards online course delivery. Online courses promise to be effective while also allowing for flexibility in scheduling. In the algebra-based physics course at a large public university in the Southwestern United States, the student population is very diverse in terms of prior knowledge, majors, interests, and scheduling needs. For these reasons, the instructor wanted to offer the required algebra-based physics course for non-physics majors, which he had been teaching in previous years in face-to-face format, as an online course. The instructor spent 6 months designing the online course, with support from The Office of Distance and Extended Learning (ODEL) at the university, and creating equivalent content for the online course such as videos (i.e., * Elmar Bergeler [email protected] Michelle F. Read [email protected] 1
Department of Physics, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
Office of Distance and Extended Learning, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
2
explanations and/or short films about specific physics topics) to replace the traditional lecture in the face-to-face section. The effects of teaching the algebra-based physics course fully online were investigated by comparing learning outcomes and perceptions of the online course students in the control group, to those in the face-to-face section of the course, which was taught traditionally as a large-enrollment course in lecture format with 70–100 students.
Literature Review Online learning continues to grow at universities for a variety of reasons. Specifically, the inclusion of online course offerings in traditionally face-to-face programs is growing (Comer et al. 2015). The major draw for students enrolling in an o
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