An Analysis of the Dynamics of a Distance Course

Abstract

The recent developments in telecommunications have created low-cost facilities for remote communication and interaction. Academic institutions are investigating the potential of this technology for distance education to create virtual classrooms. In a virtual classroom, students are dispersed geographically and their interaction with the course professor and other students is facilitated via electronic screen monitors that facilitate two-way audio-video interaction. Although this technology is being promoted to reach students who cannot be residents on campus, the dynamics of this technology on education is not well understood. This article reports the results of a study that compares the dynamics of a traditional classroom with a virtual classroom facilitated by two-way audio-video technology. The results indicate the Video-Mediated ( VM) students are not more inhibited to ask questions in class than are their Face-to-Face ( FtF) counterparts. The VM students use e-mail to ask questions while the FtF students ask questions more by visiting the professor's office. Both VM and FtF students rate the way lectures are delivered to be equally appropriate. Finally, FtF students interact with their group members to work on group projects in a face-to-face mode while students in a VM class use e-mail and phone to interact with their group members to work on collaborative joint projects. Although on most measures FtF and VM students do not differ substantially, both VM and FtF students perceive FtF interaction to be more appropriate for resolving conflicts on group projects. We also investigated outcome measures between the two FtF and VM groups. The Face-to-Face students did as well as Video-Mediated Students on midterms but the overall performance that consists of midterm grades, assignments, and group projects was better for FtF students than for VM students. Implications of the findings will be discussed.