Are Undergraduate Students Ready for Online Learning? A Comparison of Online and Face-to-Face Sections of a Course

Abstract

Online coursework is common across the United States, and many institutes of higher education include it in their strategic plans (Allen & Seaman, 2011). Special education has embraced distance education technology—especially personnel preparation programs that are in rural areas and/or prepare teachers who will work in rural areas. Undergraduates are increasingly interested in online courses, but some question whether they have the skill sets to be successful in online coursework. This investigation compares two sections of the same undergraduate special education course (i.e., one section was taught in a traditional setting and the other received archived, asynchronous class sessions online) on attendance, grades on course assignments, quizzes, an exam, and final grade. Discussion of the implications includes findings and how they might relate to rural online programs. The findings showed that online students struggled with deadlines and time management skills more than students that attended classes in traditional settings.