Web-based gerontology courses: how do they measure up?
This study compared Web-based and lecture-based Gerontology and Psychology of Aging courses in terms of student performance, demographic and academic characteristics of students enrolled in the courses, and extent to which these characteristics differentially predicted outcomes of learning in the two course types. Participants for this study were 289 undergraduate students who completed a Psychology of Aging or Gerontology course, taught in either a Web-based or lecture-based format. Evaluation of student performance indicated percentage of points earned in the two course types did not differ significantly. Although students in Web-based courses tended to be older and were more likely to be upperclassmen than students in lecture-based courses, student profiles did not differ in terms of gender, race, grade point average, and Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT) scores. Additionally, demographic and academic variables did not differentially predict course performance. The results of this study suggest a similar market in terms of demographic and academic characteristics of students for Web-based and lecture-based gerontology courses. Moreover, the findings suggest student learning outcomes in the two course formats are comparable.
Department of Psychology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina 29528, USA. hillsw@coastal.edu
William E
WE
Hills
Sara A
SA
Brallier
Linda J
LJ
Palm
Jamie M
JM
Graham
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D020375:Education, Distance; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011584:Psychology / Q000193:education; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013334:Students; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult