While administrators, faculty and students of community colleges have embraced web-based instruction, it is essential to understand the progress and success of such instruction. The primary purpose of the study was to investigate whether there were differences in completion and passing rates between courses offered in traditional classroom and web-based instructional formats that were taught by the same instructor(s) at least once using both instructional media. The secondary related purpose was to determine whether there were differences in completion and passing rates among courses taught in different academic disciplines, including both traditional and web-based courses. The population consisted of 3,601 students enrolled in courses offered in both instructional delivery formats during the academic years 1998 through 2002. The findings demonstrated that the proportion of female students enrolled in identical courses offered in the web-based format was higher than the proportion of their male counterparts enrolled in the same instructional format. Approximately two-thirds of the students enrolled in courses offered via the web-based format in this study were 23 years and older as compared with students 22 years and younger. Differences in both completion and passing rates were found between the traditional and web-based formats. In both instances the rates for traditional instruction were higher. When course grade point averages (GPAs) were compared in both formats, courses offered in the traditional classroom setting had higher mean GPAs as compared with the mean GPAs of identical courses taught by the same instructor or instructors in the web-based delivery method. Regarding differences among academic divisions, for the courses offered in the traditional format, no differences in the mean course completion rates were found. However, there were differences for identical courses offered in the web-based format. The study's findings revealed that there were differences in the mean passing rates for courses offered in traditional format. When the GPAs were compared among the seven academic divisions, differences were found for courses offered in the traditional format. Despite no differences found in course completion rates between younger and older students in web-based instructional format, significant differences were found in identical courses offered in the traditional setting.

AIM: Proper advisement of students about their programs of study requires knowledge of the applicants and confidence that the recommended curricula will lead to success via graduation and certification. . BACKGROUND: Two important strategies to deliver master of science in nursing (MSN) curricula include online and face-to-face (F2F) formats. . METHOD: A nonexperimental, descriptive study of archival data was used to examine and compare the characteristics of F2F and online MSN applicants, admitted students, and graduates as well as family nurse practitioner (FNP) certification pass rates at one eastern Tennessee college of nursing. Administration and FNP concentrations were studied. . RESULTS: The average applicant grade point average (GPA) was higher for the F2F format but no difference in the average admission GPA was found between formats. The online students had more years of RN experience than the F2F students. . CONCLUSION: No significant difference was found between graduating GPAs or FNP certification pass rates.

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Online education continues to evolve and grow dramatically at colleges and universities across the globe. Today’s society is comprised of people who are increasingly busy with work and family obligations and who are looking for more flexible and expedited avenues for higher education. Institutions seek to meet these new demands by offering online distance educational opportunities while increasing cash flow for their college. Unfortunately the pitfalls to this rush to meet online demand results in what some researchers assert are inadequate quality content and curriculum. Others indicate there are not significant differences in the outcomes from online learning compared with traditional face-to-face classes. Much of the research has been conducted on nonquantitative courses, quantitative courses with small sample sizes, or large sample sizes that are not controlled for quality of online content, delivery, or verification of learning. The purpose of this quasi-experimental ex-post-facto study was to compare student outcomes from two Principles of Accounting courses both delivered in two methods of instruction: traditional face-to-face (F2F) and an on-line asynchronous format. The online content for both courses was developed with assistance of academic technology professionals at the participating university. Student learning was measured as final course grade where all exams were administered by a testing center in a proctored environment. The sample size included 124 students from the online sections and 433 students from the traditional face-to-face sections. Eight research questions were examined using independent samples t-test for 6 of the analyses, ANOVA for 1 question, and multiple regression for predictors of mean final course grade. The results indicated students performed significantly better in the face-to-face classes than the online sections. Female students scored significantly higher than male students in both methods of instruction. ACT composite score, ACT math score, GPA, gender, and method of instruction all were significantly related to final course grade. Age was not a significant predictor of final course grade but in the online sections nontraditional students (age 25 and older) scored significantly higher than students under the age of 25.