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Course perceptions of distance education students.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

This paper examined the levels of knowledge, motivation, and course preferences for students enrolled in both online and onsite management courses. Findings indicate that these students are much more similar with regard to these factors than previous research has indicated.

Introduction

The focus of this paper is to examine possible distinctions related to student knowledge, motivation, and preferences that may exist between students choosing a distance education course over a traditional face-to-face course. An expanded understanding of any such differences will assist not only educators and trainers engaged in the instructional process, but will also provide valuable insight for individuals and organizations as they consider how best to achieve their learning objectives and spend their education and/or training budgets.

Distance learning has grown rapidly in both education and industry during the last decade (e.g. Martins and Kellermans, 2004; Arabaugh and Benbunan-Fich, 2006). Some of the primary motivators have been the surge of technological developments including the accessibility and affordability of personal computers, as well as the demand for "just in time" learning that accommodates people's lifestyles and work schedules (Anderson and Jackson, 2000; Jenkins and Downs, 2003; Robinson and Doverspike, 2006).

The pros and cons of distance education are frequently debated at all levels of academia (Celsi and Wolfinbarger, 2001; Bryant, Kahle and Schafer, 2005). While there appears to be little consensus of judgment, most faculty agree that distance education is becoming more important as it provides an opportunity to serve more students beyond a geographical location and to make improvements in operational efficiency and student service (Perreault, Waldman, Alexander and Zhao, 2002; Martins and Kellermans, 2004). The influx of students is typically seen as encouraging, because although additional demands are placed on the technological systems of the organization (computing networks, new hardware and software, etc.), there is not a corresponding demand for increased physical space associated with onsite students.

Distance education also offers great potential in helping professional organizations meet their just-in-time training needs in a cost effective manner. Advancements in technology have made it more feasible to deliver quality training and instruction programs to people geographically dispersed yet sharing common learning needs. In fact, the rapid technological change that has occurred in the workplace, combined with the accessibility and cost effectiveness of distance education, has caused many corporations to offer more of their training programs in a virtual setting (Blake, Gibson and Blackwell, 2003). Celsi and Wolfinbarger (2001) call for colleges and universities to better prepare their students for a workplace that often blends technology and business strategy.

For many students, there are numerous positives associated with distance education. When education is available to you at any location, provided asynchronously, and with the flexibility to accommodate a busy life, students are more willing to tolerate the less community-oriented learning environment (Robinson and Doverspike, 2006), higher tuitions, and to sacrifice social interaction for the increase in convenience that allows for balancing an education with full-time employment and family responsibilities (Jenkins and Downs, 2003; Harris and Gibson, 2006).

Despite the positives, distance education is not without its skeptics. With the explosion of distance education programs in business schools, issues related to maintaining accreditation standards now permeate curriculum discussions. In fact, current American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation standards state that "An institution that uses a variety of educational delivery systems at various locations must demonstrate comparable quality of its educational programs for all students. An institution must meet accreditation standards at all the various locations at which the included degree programs are delivered, or in the case of distance learning, standards must be met in all delivery modes" (AACSB, 2005). Faculty has also expressed concerns related to distance education, particularly the technological problems associated...

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