A comparison study between on-line & traditional courses taught by Milwaukee Area Technical College's adult high school

Abstract

This study was designed to analyze the difference in completion rates between traditional and on-line courses offered through the Adult High School of Milwaukee Area Technical College during the first sixteen-week semester of the 1999-2000 school year. Additionally, student perceptions of on-line courses were measured through an on-line survey. Instructors who taught the same course(s) in both a traditional and on-line format were selected. At the conclusion of the semester data was collected to determine completion rates for the courses in question. The general findings of the study conclude that while completion rates do vary slightly depending on delivery method, there is much greater variability depending on the instructor in question regardless of whether that instructor is teaching in a traditional or on-line classroom. Student perceptions of on-line course work were mixed. In general, students indicated that on-line course work was less rigorous than traditional classroom experiences, but that it was also less engaging.