Audiences and Outcomes in Online and Traditional American Government Classes: A Comparative Two-Year Case Study

Abstract

The objective of this article is to report differences we have found in teaching “American National Government” via the web and in a traditional lecture/discussion format. Since beginning this quasiexperimental field study in late 1997, we have gathered a variety of comparative data concerning students' characteristics and their changes in political knowledge and attitudes—things that are important to all of us who labor teaching American government in hopes of nurturing healthy citizens.

Comparing Student Outcomes in Blended and Face-to-Face Courses

“…More recent research focusing specifically on online learning comes to similar conclusions. There are many recent studies showing no difference in academic outcomes in online and face-to-face courses (Botsch and Botsch 2001;Dolan 2008;Dutton, Dutton, and Perry 2001;M. Johnson 2002;S.…”

Technology and Civic Engagement in the College Classroom

“…Most of the research about online education has focused on assessing whether online instruction is effective, and particularly, whether it can be an equal or better alternative to the traditional face-to-face instruction for student learning. The research yields mixed results, but most of the research concludes that students can learn at least as well in online courses as face-to-face courses when the courses are designed using established best practices from the literature (e.g., Botsch and Botsch 2001;Dolan 2008;Dutton, Dutton, and Perry 2001;M. Johnson 2002;S.…”

Moral Reasoning and Student Perceptions of the Middle East: Observations on Student Learning from an Internet Dialog

“…Finally, Botsch, and Botsch (2001) compare an Internet-based approach to teaching American government with the traditional method and report that the web-based mode is equally effective in developing students' knowledge without lessening grades or leading to higher dropout rates. The authors conclude that ''web classes may be even more effective in improving the general factual knowledge of lower GPA students, because such classes .…”