Increasingly, students are able to decide whether they will take a course online or in the traditional classroom setting. Robinson and Doverspike (reference below) were interested in why a student might choose one of those environments over the other. Obviously, their results are of special interest to those who advocate online learning and can be of use to those who design online learning experiences.

Students in this sample—mostly women, mostly in the traditional 18-23-year-old category, and all psychology majors—completed a questionnaire that included a description of a fictitious experimental psychology course to be offered online. Students were asked about the likelihood of their taking this proposed course as well as questions about general attitudes toward online courses, whether they thought they might learn more in these courses, whether those close to them would approve of them taking an online course, and whether being busy might make them more likely to take an online course.

As for the likelihood of these students enrolling in an online course, the sample was relatively neutral: 4.38 on a 7-point scale, with 7 being “extremely likely.” Researchers attribute this result to the fact that students are familiar and comfortable with traditional classroom settings. However, they did find responses to four questions predictive of a student’s intention to take an online course.

Students’ intentions to take these courses were highest when they believed that by taking an online course they would “have a better chance of getting a good grade, learning more, and making progress toward the completion of my major.” (p. 67) These students’ intentions were also highest when they reported they would take an online course if they were too busy and did not have time for a traditional course.

Students in this sample did hold some negative attitudes toward some aspects of online courses. “For example, students believed online courses would hinder faculty interaction and … this interaction is vital to learning.” (p. 66) These researchers cite other findings that challenge this belief—some reporting that students in online courses actually felt more connected to their faculty members. They also describe the various ways faculty can connect with students electronically, such as online office hours, instant messaging programs, Listservs, and electronic bulletin boards.

There is value in understanding why students would select an online course over a traditional one. Equally interesting is the question of which kinds of students are better served by the traditional learning environment and which are better served by the online environment.

Reference: Robinson, R. P., and Doverspike, D. (2006). Factors predicting the choice of an online versus traditional course. Teaching of Psychology, 33 (1), 64-68.

By Maryellen Weimer, From Teaching Professor, April 2007

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