Quantitative Critical Analysis

Quantitative Research Methods – Prof. Cheung Shu Fai

Critical Review 1 Dorji Wangchuk - yb67301

Rationale

This is a critical review of the article, A Comparison of Student Achievement and Satisfaction in an Online Versus a Traditional Face-to-Face Statistics Class by Jessica J. Summers, Alexander Waigandt and Tiffany A. Whittaker (2005).

I chose this paper as I am currently helping the Department of Communication in designing an online module for undergraduate studies. Our concern is how best to deliver the course using the best technology and techniques available. Besides that, I am also a firm believer in the power and the affordances of technology to address some issues

This paper explores the differences between traditional classroom learning and distance education by sampling a group of undergraduate students taking introductory statistics course fin a large Midwestern university in the US. It does so by measuring two outcome dimensions: students’ final grades and student satisfaction. In other words, it sets to find out if there were any differences in the final scores and in the student satisfaction level between those who had signed up for the traditional classroom method and those students who had enrolled to the same course as online

However, significant group differences were found in seven of the sixteen questions related to satisfaction level. In other words, students who enrolled online expressed lower satisfaction on other dimensions. Four are related to the instructor; instructor’s explanation, instructor enthusiasm, instructor openness, instructor’s interest in student learning; and three to the course; class discussion, quality of questions/problems, evaluation and grading. To summarize the overall finding, while the two groups performed in a similar manner in the final assessment, the online students were less satisfied with the course than those who attended in the classroom