MARKETING EDUCATION: ONLINE VS TRADITIONAL

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1 MARKETING EDUCATION: ONLINE VS TRADITIONAL Smith, David F. Bemidji State University Stephens, Barry K. Bemidji State University ABSTRACT Online higher education eliminates the learning barriers of time and location and allows students worldwide to participate in classes as their schedule permits (Kartha, 2006). As higher education continues to grow in this online environment, there is an increasing need to ensure that the quality of delivery and student success in online education is comparable to the traditional delivery. Also to insure program success, student satisfaction in online classes should equal or exceed the student satisfaction of traditional classes. Previous studies have shown mixed results in comparing performances and satisfaction of online classes with traditional classes. This paper replicates some of those previous studies (Kartha, 2006; Bennett, Padgham, McCarty & Carter, 2007; McFarland & Hamilton, 2005/2006) in order to determine how improvements in technology and teaching techniques compare to those results. The study will compare overall grades and student satisfaction. INTRODUCTION Online higher education eliminates the learning barriers of time and location and allows students worldwide to participate in classes as their schedule permits (Kartha, 2006). Online education has increased 9.7 percent compared to an overall increase in higher education of 1.5 percent. In the fall of 2006, 20 percent of all students in higher education were taking at least one online class (Allen and Seaman, 2007). With the falling economy and high fuel prices, the online percentage should continue to increase. As higher education continues to grow in this online environment, there is an increasing need to ensure that the quality of delivery and student success in online education is comparable to the traditional delivery. Also to insure program success, student satisfaction in online classes should equal or exceed the student satisfaction of traditional classes (Bennett & Padgham, 2007). This study will replicate previous studies in both student performance and satisfaction. The study takes place in a state university in northern Minnesota during the fall semester of 2009 and involves two traditional classes and one online class of Principles of Marketing. All three classes had the same instructor and each group received the same assignments on a weekly basis. The exams were also timed to eliminate any advantage online students might have. The study will compare overall grades and student satisfaction. ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas 810

2 LITERATURE REVIEW Kartha (2006) conducted a study over two semesters of one traditional and one online class of business statistics each semester. The study included both learning outcomes and student satisfaction. There were a total of 64 total students in the two semesters of traditional classes and 38 total students in the online classes. The online students were required to take exams on campus on the same day that the traditional students were tested. Results of the study revealed no significant differences in learning outcomes but a significant difference in satisfaction. The online students were less satisfied with the course. The study assumes that students in online classes are required to be more independent, focused and organized in study habits to be successful (Kartha, 2006). Priluck (2004) compared two Principles of Marketing classes. One of the classes was traditional and the second class was a hybrid between traditional and online. The results of the study revealed no significant difference in scores between the two classes, but the traditional class was significantly more satisfied than the hybrid class. The traditional class believed the course was more effective in developing skills, team building, critical thinking, oral and written communication and social interaction. Bennett, Padgham, McCarty and Carter (2007) studied 498 students taking Principles of Economics, 406 students in traditional classes and 92 students online. Results showed that traditional students performed significantly better on exams in micro economics than did online students; but the online students performed significantly better in macro economics than did the traditional students. Macro economics is less quantitative than micro and researchers believed that is why online students were able to perform better. McFarland and Hamilton (2005/2006) studied senior MIS students over two semesters. The students were split evenly between traditional and online classes and both classes were taught by the same professor. Each class received the same assignments and the same timed online quizzes and exams. Both classes utilized questions and answer time to cover course material with the online students participating in an online chat room. The study focused on both performance and satisfaction and found no significant difference between the two classes in either area. METHODOLOGY The present study was designed to look at whether outcomes achieved in an online marketing principles class are different from outcomes achieved in the same class in a face-to-face environment. One outcome, learning achievement, was measured with scores on a final exam. Another outcome, student satisfaction, was measured with a common course evaluation questionnaire. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Are there differences in the final exam scores between students in an online marketing principles course and a face-to-face course? Are there differences in the level of satisfaction between students in an online marketing principles course and a face-to-face course? Hypotheses H1: There are no differences between the final exam scores of online and face-to-face students. ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas 811

3 H2: There are no differences between the satisfaction scores of online and face-to-face students. The sample for the study consisted of 67 students taking marketing principles face-to-face on campus and 24 students taking the same course remotely via Desire-to-Learn online. The courses were offered simultaneously during the fall semester in All assignments, discussion and exams were identical in the two learning environments. For each chapter, students participated in a discussion and prepared answers to text book based assignments. Students were also tested with three chapter based interim exams. All student work was graded by the course professor. Feedback was provided on returned homework assignments but interim exams were not returned to the students. Data collection consisted of gathering scores on the final exams and course evaluations for each student. In addition, data related to gender and class standing was recorded. Tests were run to see if the demographic characteristics of the two groups matched. Both the gender make up of the groups and class standing were analyzed using a contingency table Chi Squared analysis. The gender analysis suggested that the traditional class was predominately male while the online class was predominantly female. The contingency table analysis confirmed that the two groups were different by gender. Class standing at first glance appeared to be similar. The contingency table analysis showed though that the make-up of the two groups differed. The online students tended to be further along in their college program. A number of assumptions were made as part of the research. First it was assumed that grades represent learning achievement and that course evaluation scores represent student satisfaction. In addition it was assumed that there are no differences in academic preparation between on campus students and remote students. The marketing course is a junior level course so it was assumed that students in either group met the course prerequisites and were equally prepared. There are also a number of limitations with the study. First, the sample is small and represents only one time period. The research was conducted at a small upper Midwest university and included every principles of marketing class offered during the fall semester. The time period was selected out of convenience. This was the only semester in which all marketing principles courses, online and face-to-face, were offered by the same instructor. The results only apply to principles of marketing courses. Other disciplines have different teaching methods and different learning outcomes. As such, other disciplines may find different results should someone choose to replicate the study. RESULTS The mean scores for the final exams were for the face-to-face students and for the online class. The independent samples t-test revealed that the difference between the two means was significant. Hypothesis 1: there are no differences between the final exam scores of online and face-to-face students, is therefore rejected. The mean scores for the course evaluations were for the face-to-face students and for the online class. The independent samples t-test revealed that the difference between the two means was not ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas 812

4 significant. Hypothesis 2; there are no differences between the satisfaction scores of online and face-toface students, is therefore not rejected. CONCLUSION The present study found equal levels of satisfaction among the face-to-face and the online students. This finding is inconsistent with several of the studies cited above. Understanding of student satisfaction in the online environment needs further research. Learning outcomes as measured in the present study were inconsistent with most of the research cited above. Demographics may provide a clue as to why the online students performed better in this study. In the present study 43 percent of the online students were classified as seniors while 18 percent of the face-to-face students had the same classification. Students further along in their education could be expected to outperform students who are not as far along. The assumption about equal preparation, while correct in the strictest sense, may not truly represent how students learn-to-learn as they proceed through college. In addition, class standing does not always represent age. With traditional students class standing very closely approximates a student s age, but in the online environment with its large number of nontraditional students, class standing may not be a good age surrogate. Understanding how age and class standing relate to student performance needs further research. ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas 813

5 References Allen, E. & Seaman, J. (2007). Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning. Sloan Consortium, Needham, MA. Bennett, D.S., Padgham, G.L., McCarty, S.C. & Carter, M.S. (2007). Teaching Principles of Economics: Internet vs. traditional classroom instruction. Journal of Economics and Economic Educational Research 8(1): Kartha, C.P Learning business statistics: Online vs. traditional. The Business Review 5(1): McFarland, D. & Hamilton, D. (2005/2006). Factors affecting student performance: Online versus traditional course delivery. Journal of Computer Information Systems 46(2): Priluck, R Web-assisted courses for business education: An examination of two sections of Principles of Marketing. Journal of Marketing Education 26(2): ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas 814