Online vs. face-to-face discussion in a Web-based research methods course for postgraduate nursing students: a quasi-experimental study.
BACKGROUND
Web-based technologies are increasingly being used to create modes of online learning for nurses but their effect has not been assessed in nurse education.


OBJECTIVE
Assess whether participation in face-to-face discussion seminars or online asynchronous discussion groups had different effects on educational attainment in a web-based course.


METHODS
Non-randomised or quasi-experimental design with two groups-students choosing to have face-to-face discussion seminars and students choosing to have online discussions.


METHODS
The Core Methods module of a postgraduate research methods course.


METHODS
All 114 students participating in the first 2 yr during which the course teaching material was delivered online.


RESULTS
Assignment mark for Core Methods course module.


METHODS
Background details of the students, their choices of modules and assignment marks were collected as part of the routine course administration. Students' online activities were identified using the student tracking facility within WebCT. Regression models were fitted to explore the association between available explanatory variables and assignment mark.


RESULTS
Students choosing online discussions had a higher Core Methods assignment mark (mean 60.8/100) than students choosing face-to-face discussions (54.4); the difference was statistically significant (t=3.13, df=102, p=0.002), although this ignores confounding variables. Among online discussion students, assignment mark was significantly correlated with the numbers of discussion messages read (Kendall's tau(b)=0.22, p=0.050) and posted (Kendall's tau(b)=0.27, p=0.017); among face-to-face discussion students, it was significantly associated with the number of non-discussion hits in WebCT (Kendall's tau(b)=0.19, p=0.036). In regression analysis, choice of discussion method, whether an M.Phil./Ph.D. student, number of non-discussion hits in WebCT, number of online discussion messages read and number posted were associated with assignment mark at the 5% level of significance when taken singly; in combination, only whether an M.Phil./Ph.D. student (p=0.024) and number of non-discussion hits (p=0.045) retained significance.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that a research methods course can be delivered to postgraduate healthcare students at least as successfully by an entirely online method in which students participate in online discussion as by a blended method in which students accessing web-based teaching material attend face-to-face seminar discussions. Increased online activity was associated with higher assignment marks. The study highlights new opportunities for educational research that arise from the use of virtual learning environments that routinely record the activities of learners and tutors.
Campbell
Malcolm
M
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Malcolm.Campbell@manchester.ac.uk
Gibson
Will
W
Hall
Andy
A
Richards
David
D
Callery
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003142:Communication; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires