Case Study: A Comparison of Online and Face-to-Face Learning in High Schools in

the United States

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield

EDTEC 690,  Professor Minjuan Wang

San Diego State University, December 2008

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Introduction Finding alternative strategies for educating

today’s high school student is becoming necessary, especially for at-risk students.

With the growing need for these strategies, teachers and administrators are turning to online education as a tool to assist students outside the traditional classroom.

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Introduction Online Learning Advantages

Students can access courses from any location Students can make up credits or take advanced classes Students have a personal relationship with instructors

Online Learning Disadvantages Isolation, or a lack of face-to-face contact Student readiness for e-learning medium High dropout or incompletion rates

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Impact of the Literature Review The majority of the research performed for this case study

confirmed that online education is as effective as face-to-face classroom instruction.

As of 2007, 42 U.S. states had significant online learning programs, with enrollments growing by 25% a year.

With the invention of the computer and the Internet, educators have more opportunities to individualize curriculum and engage students in innovative and creative ways.

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Impact of the Literature Review Research described how online education for high

school students was not supported. Maturity, accountability, responsibility, self-discipline,

flexibility, time management skills, self-directedness, initiative, problem-solving skills, reading comprehension skills and basic technology skills are needed.

It is argued that teaching via an online environment is not appropriate because the quality of education in an online course can be compromised because teaching and learning are dynamic processes that benefit from non-verbal cues present only in face-to-face settings.

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Impact of the Literature Review The case study was developed to determine whether or not

educators and administrators believe that online education is an effective strategy for teaching high school students. 

The research indicates that K-12 online learning is an effective teaching strategy. 

The goal of this case study was to determine whether or not the perceptions of K-12 educators agree or disagree with the

literary reviews.

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Methodology A brief online survey was conducted to determine the

perceptions of educators and administrators regarding the effectiveness of on-line versus face-to-face instruction. 

A 20-question survey was e-mailed to two high schools in San Diego, California, to elicit responses from teachers and administrators’ regarding their opinions and experiences with online learning.

The survey was conducted over a one-week period. There were 86 respondents, primarily educators or administrators.

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Findings The data collected from the survey was analyzed using

Analyze It (Microsoft Excel). Each question was then thoroughly analyzed to determine participants’ beliefs as to whether online learning was as effective as face-to-face learning.

We determined that: The younger the participants, the more more likely they were to have

taken an online class There were a higher percentage of female participants, and a higher

level of female respondents who had taken online classes versus males

All respondents were highly educated

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Findings continuedWe determined that:

The best online classes taken by respondents were enjoyable, face paced, and had an effective teacher.

The worst online classes taken by respondents were boring and had ineffective teacher

Online course expectations included having to listen to the teacher, interact with other learners, but respondents indicated they were not expected to perform or present orally

When asked if respondents felt isolated or distracted in online classes, 58% of participants indicated that they felt isolated at least part of the time, 56% felt uncertain of expectation, distracted or unfocused, while 62.2% said they never felt a lack of teacher support. This negates the isolation factor notes as a disadvantage to e-learning.

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

We determined that:Participants indicated that they felt that online learning was an effective strategy for high school students, with 73.6% in agreement.

Respondents also agreed that students can learn online just as effectively as they can in a classroom, and that formal instruction during high school (in a classroom) was not always needed.

Participants agreed that teachers can properly assess students in an online environment.

Interestingly enough, even though participants agreed that online instruction is just as effective as classroom instruction, 57% of respondents felt that classroom instruction is the best during high school years, and 59.3% felt that face-to-face interaction is needed for success.

Findings continued

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Findings continuedWe determined that:

The best data we collected was obtained through the comments respondents wrote to the question: Virtual high school education is becoming increasingly more popular. Do you think that the teacher/student relationship can be as effective in an online environment as it is in a traditional classroom? Why or why not? There were 80 comments made to this question, which were broken into positive and negative. The majority of the comments were positive. Most respondents felt that the success of a student in online classes depended greatly on the effectiveness of the teacher. Respondents felt it was important that the right kind of student be in online classes, listing students who were mature, independent thinkers, and technologically capable as necessities. Negative responses included the need for face-to-face interaction as a must, and the the fear of students cheating in an online class as a worry.

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Conclusion The purpose of this case study was to determine whether or

not online education is as effective as face-to-face classroom instruction for high school students in the United States. 

According to the literature reviewed, online courses are an effective learning strategy for students in grades K-12. 

The literature reviewed supports the advent of more online learning environments, and encourages schools in the United States to add more virtual classroom environments to their programs. 

By Lori Cummings and Kelly Granfield EDTEC 690, Professor Minjuan Wang San Diego State University, December 2008

Conclusion Too many students are falling behind in traditional education

settings and eventually dropping out of school. Online education is one strategy to serve these students. At risk students are particularly in need of programs to serve them.

Many of these students drop out of school because they cannot cope with the traditional school setting.

Encouraging them to achieve success and earn a high school diploma is paramount in building a responsible and dedicated workforce in the United States.

Online educators need to address the following areas in order to improve online education: isolation and limited contact, student preparedness for this medium, and retention.