ERIC Number: EJ935941
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Sep
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0007-1013
EISSN: N/A
A Comparison between Paper-Based and Online Learning in Higher Education
Emerson, Lisa; MacKay, Bruce
British Journal of Educational Technology, v42 n5 p727-735 Sep 2011
To date researchers have had difficulty establishing reliable conclusions in studies comparing traditional forms of learning (eg paper-based or classroom based) vs online learning in relation to student learning outcomes; no consistent results have emerged, and many studies have not been controlled for factors other than lesson mode. This paper compares the effects of presenting two versions of lessons on punctuation that differed only in their mode of presentation. 59 students completed a pre-lesson questionnaire, and after the lessons completed another questionnaire plus the NASA-TLX which tests subjective cognitive workload stress. The results showed that students who sat the lessons on paper performed 24% better than those who sat the lessons online. Reasons for this difference in learning outcomes are considered, but no clear reason is apparent in the data from this study. The study sounds a note of caution in terms of the move by tertiary institutions to online and/or blended learning, and suggests further studies are required which assess learning outcomes in different mode of learning.
Descriptors: Electronic Learning, Online Courses, Measures (Individuals), College Students, Cognitive Processes, Difficulty Level, Conventional Instruction, Instructional Effectiveness, Web Based Instruction, Comparative Analysis, Questionnaires, Pretests Posttests, Blended Learning, Punctuation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A