Chapter 4

Chapter four discusses research about online education. It is broken down into the following subsections:

• Impact on Student Achievement: administrators must ask themselves whether the student achievement in an online class is relative to a traditional class. Starr Roxanne Hiltz developed a way to assess this and her finding were that the results were equal or better in most areas for online education. However, it may not be for everyone.
• Evaluation of Web-based Courses: Various evaluations for web-based courses have found that “students do at least as well in online courses as in traditional classes,” (Kersley, 50). Interaction with the professor and involvement are often higher for online courses.
• School-level Impact: Many would agree that online learning can have a significant impact on an educational system, instructors and students. However, there are factors that play into this such as student demographics, location and school priorities. Thus, in order for online education to take root, it must be a priority and students must be open toward it.
• The Nature of Class Interaction: Collaboration and interaction between students is often easier through online courses. Many times, students find their instructor to be more accessible online than in person. Working together to complete projects is often easier for students and students are often engaged.
• Virtual Conferences: Virtual conferences are used to build interaction. Many professionals use this as a form of continuing education.
• Learning Communities: Student interaction often continues after courses have been completed. Online communities can facilitate the development of relationships among students so that they can assist one another.

Online education is a unique opportunity to have the education brought straight to you. There are ways to build relationships between peers and instructors. Research has shown that online education is not for everyone but little, if anything, is lost in terms of quality when compared to traditional classes.

I believe that online education was just gaining steam as this book/chapter were written. I think that a lot of the information has either been proven or disproved by now. I think that in general, online education is an accepted form of education for most. Many love the convenience and see that as one of the biggest benefits. It seems that there are fewer questions about quality and more acceptance and enrollment in these programs.

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