No abstract

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;">This study analyzes the perceptions and preferences of a group of undergraduate business students with respect to taking on-line or distance education courses. In this last decade, distant learning programs have become very popular<span style="color: red;">,</span> and the<span style="color: red;"> </span>number of offerings continues to increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The growing popularity of this medium for instruction is due to a combination of factors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Technological advances have made the availability both economical and practical. The economic advantages of distributing scarce resources, geographically and temporally, to students in remote locations provide a broader market for distance education. Additionally, the increasing demand from students to acquire education at times that are convenient given their busy schedules and personal commitments makes distance education attractive to working learners (Roberts 1998). The new opportunities distance learning has provided have enabled students to create an atmosphere for learning at home.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;">The distance debate usually focuses on issues related to student learning and outcomes and student attitudes as compared to traditional classroom-based settings (Phillips, 1998; Webster &amp; Hackley, 1997).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This study attempts to address these and other topics such as what is distance learning, what are the advantages and disadvantages, and what changes can be made to improve this type of learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This research is intended to give students a realistic expectation of what to anticipate from distance learning courses based on information we have found and studies we have done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It is important that students have a realistic perception of the distant learning experience.</span></p>

Abstract

In this paper, the authors compare perceptions of 2001-2002 undergraduate students toward online courses, with the attitudes of undergraduate students matriculating in 2005. Specifically, a questionnaire developed and used in a study during the period 2001-2002, in which there were eight hundred ninety-six (896) undergraduate students at two medium-sized southern universities, was again given to six hundred twenty-six (626) undergraduate students at these same two universities in 2005. The results suggest that students continue to have questions about the overall appeal of online courses, despite the fact that three to four years have elapsed. The results of this study should be of interest to university administrators, faculty members, and students who plan to offer, teach, or take online courses in the future. This information may be helpful to university administrators in deciding which types of courses at their universities might be offered online. Faculty who are considering teaching one or more online courses may find the results of this study helpful in structuring these online offerings. This research is also intended to give students a realistic expectation of what to anticipate from online courses, based upon information we have found and studies we have done.

The authors discuss the results of a questionnaire given to 893 undergraduate college students regarding distance-learning courses, which reveal a number of differences in perception between business and non-business students.  The authors suggest possible reasons for these differences, and make recommendations to university administrators and faculty as to what could be done to help reduce or limit these differences.  The results of this study should be of interest to university administrators, faculty members, and students who plan to offer, teach, or take online courses in the future.  In addition, this information may be helpful to university administrators in deciding which types of courses at their universities might be offered online.  Faculty who are considering teaching one or more online courses may find the results of this study helpful in structuring these online offerings.  This research is intended to give students a realistic expectation of what to anticipate from distance learning courses based on information we have found and studies we have done.