Learning Online Info

Drexel Research Team: Quality of Online Versus On-Campus Learning is Indistinguishable

Drexel Press Release: Quality of Online Versus On-Campus Learning is Indistinguishable. ‘Drexel Research Team to Present Online Education Findings at Sloan-C Conference. A research team from Drexel University has been invited to the 12th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on November 9, 2006 to present findings from an online vs. on-campus research study they conducted involving adult learners. This research team, made up of Dr. Kenneth Hartman, director of academic affairs at Drexel University Online and adjunct associate professor of education, Dr. Kristen Betts, director of the Master of Science in Higher Education program at Drexel and an assistant professor of education, and Mark Palladino, director of Institutional Research at Philadelphia University, conducted the first comparison study between adult students earning their degree on-campus (traditional) and adult students earning their degree through distance education (online) to compare the level of intellectual rigor and the impact that both delivery methods had on family and work-life issues.
“This is the first study of its type to compare the expectations and actual experiences of both on-campus and online adult learners, the results of which suggest the quality of on-line versus on-campus learning is indistinguishable”, said Hartman. “Quality of instruction is what matters the most to online students; therefore, it behooves all institutions offering on-line degrees to internally examine the experience and opinions of their online students”.
Sloan-C has recognized that distance learning is one of the fastest growing avenues today in higher education and corporate training with asynchronous learning as the fastest-growing approach. Sloan-C will hold the 12th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks November 8 -10 at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, FL. More information about attending this conference and membership can be found at http://www.sloan-c.org. Drexel’s executive summary of their findings can be accessed at http://www.drexel.com.