Volume 4
Volume 4, Number 94 |
October 11, 2006 |
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Gary Ury
Connie Ury
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Abstract: Instructors and course development experts are trying to define methodologies that will facilitate the effective transferal of learning from the traditional classroom to the online environment. Many agree that the most difficult item to emulate in the online environment is effective interpersonal communication between students and instructors. This study examined two lower level information systems courses at Northwest Missouri State University that are mapped to the IS 2002 model curriculum. The purpose was to determine if there were differences in grades between online and traditional students. The researchers were also interested in determining any differences in student—instructor interaction that might exist in the online delivery method between the two courses. Course grades for a management information systems course were compared by instructor, grade point average, number of credit hours completed, and delivery mode. The only significant difference that surfaced was for delivery mode. Individual assignment grades and course grades for a computer literacy course were also compared with no significant difference found between online students and classroom students. A major component difference between these two courses was the use of multimedia delivery of instruction. The computer literacy course utilized streaming video components and planned student—instructor interaction while the management information systems course made limited use of these tools. These findings led to a redesign of the management information systems course for the Fall 2005 semester with increased use of these methodologies in hopes of increasing online student performance.
Keywords: online learning, distance learning, course delivery methodology
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Recommended Citation: Ury and Ury (2006). Successful Course Transition from Traditional Delivery Methods to the Online Format. Information Systems Education Journal, 4 (94). http://isedj.org/4/94/. ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2005: §3163. ISSN: 1542-7382.)