The Benefits of Online Courses

Group 5

By: Max Beall, Laura Fajardo, and Linda

Najera.

Instructor: Gary Lewallen

Date: April 27th, 2017

Introduction
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The number of online courses being offered at a college or university is growing at an

exponential rate. Students have expressed less interest in lecture-based courses, which has led to

an increase in online courses. The question now is how beneficial are these courses for students

and their varying areas of study. Therefore, the survey conducted here examines a handful of

experiences students had when taking an online course. In other words, our survey will analyze

the students performance in the class, whether they will take an online course again, and the

level of satisfaction the student had with the course. The survey consists of students from all

college grade levels including 65 freshmen, 28 sophomores, 25 juniors, and 7 seniors. The

students who partook in the survey were also asked to provide the course topic and how many

online courses they have taken. The survey found that most students took technology-related

courses online. Science, Math, and Education were also frequently taken by students in an online

setting. Putting aside the flaws, we think our survey indicates that online courses have proven to

be beneficial for college students of the 21st Century.

Out of the 126 students that participated in our surveyed, 103 have taken an online course

in the past. This indicates that online courses are popular and are frequently utilized by a vast

number of students on ASUs campus. With that said, some people might assume that online

courses are popular and admired amongst ASUs student body. Nevertheless, such an

assumption is nothing more than implausible speculation with little evidence to support it.

Therefore, it is of paramount importance that other factors are highlighted when determining

whether most students appreciate online courses. On the other hand, Chart #1 makes it safe to

infer that online courses are frequently taken by students on ASUs campus. However, it does

not address whether the students benefit from taking a course in an online setting.

CHART #1

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Additionally, Chart #2 reveals that out of the 23 people that have never taken an online course,

13 of them plan on taking one at some point in time. Therefore, only 10 out of the 126

individuals surveyed will not ever take an online course. These numbers underpin our previous

assertion that online courses are popular and used frequently by students and faculty on ASUs

campus.

CHART #2

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First, we must examine each students satisfaction with the course, and whether they

think they learned more in an online setting. Chart #3 reveals that most students have a high

approval rating of online courses. According to the chart, about 76% of the students surveyed

will more than likely take another online course. This tells us that the majority of students

appreciate the setting or atmosphere that encompasses an online course. The second chart asks

whether the students think they learned more from an online course than a classroom lecture.

The numbers reveal that around 52% of the students surveyed thought that they learned just as

much from an online course as they would from an in-person lecture. However, a substantial

number of students (43%) still thought that an online course provided a better learning

experience. The two charts do not answer our original questions. Instead, both results caused

bewilderment because they are somewhat contradictory. Why would most students be willing to

take another online course when they can learn just as much from an in-person lecture?

CHART #3

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CHART #4

It is critically important for us to examine the students performance in the class.

Therefore, part of our survey asks whether the student passed the course. This chart might also

provide an answer to the previous question about why the majority of students are still willing to

take another online course. The chart exhibits the average number of online courses taken and

the number of students who passed those courses. According to our findings, most students

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passed the online courses they were enrolled in. It is safe to infer that students have the desire to

pass whatever course they are taking. Given the passage rate for online courses, we anticipate

that most students take online courses because they are easier to complete. As previously

mentioned, many students still think that they learn just as much from a classroom-based lecture.

Nevertheless, most students still expressed a willingness to take another online course.

Therefore, the majority of students do not wish to take another online course because they think

it is more beneficial, but because they have a higher chance of passing. However, this is still an

unsubstantiated theory that requires more evidence in order for it to hold water. It would have

been beneficial had we asked each student their reasons for why they were willing to take

another online course. This is a salient point that would have cleared up a lot of confusion had it

been part of our inquiry.

CHART #5

The next step is to determine which areas of study are typically taught in an online

setting. According to our findings, the most common classes taught in an online setting are

technology, history, science, and education related courses. The question now is why do students

more frequently take these courses in an online setting compared to the other topics listed?

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Science and technology related courses might be taught online because both require the use of

technology, which includes graphs, spreadsheets, and other programs that are easily accessible

on a computer. However, history courses do not usually incorporate these programs into their

curriculum. On the other hand, history is a lecture-based course that typically involves a great

amount of notetaking and reading, which can easily be done in an online setting. An ample

number of notes makes it difficult for students to keep up with their professors during a lecture.

Therefore, videos, which can be paused and replayed, make it easier for students to maintain a

steady pace and grasp all the material without being rushed. It would have been beneficial for us

to ask each student why they chose to study a particular topic in an online setting. In other

words, are there cases where some subject matter is more attainable when taught in an online

setting?

CHART #6

Chart #7 reinforces our previous claim that an online setting is beneficial for technology, history,

education, and science related courses. As you can see, a vast number of students in all four

grade-levels studied those topics in an online setting. There is not enough data to determine why

few students enroll in political and communication courses in an online setting. There is a

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possibility that both departments may not find it necessary to teach their curriculum online. On

another note, politics and communications may be difficult to teach as an online course.

Nevertheless, these two theories are only assumptions. Our group would have to collect data and

survey more students to answer these questions.

CHART #7

On a more trivial note, the majority of students who participated in this survey were

Freshmen. Charts #8 and #9 reveal the number of students from each grade level that have or

have not taken an online course. These charts raise the question of why there are less upper

division students taking online courses? Given the fact that EDT 180 is a Freshmen course, the

bulk of students that partook in our survey are most likely members of ASUs Class of 2020.

Therefore, there is not enough evidence to suggest that Freshmen have a higher chance of

enrolling in an online course. However, both graphs spark curiosity about which grade level has

the most students taking online courses. Furthermore, it is no surprise that our group received

zero responses from graduate level students. After all, EDT 180 is taught at the undergraduate

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level, and it would be unusual for a graduate student to be enrolled in this course. Ultimately,

popularity of online courses amongst grade-levels is an indeterminable factor that cannot be

calculated from the given data. We would have to survey students from all departments across

ASUs campus in order to fully answer this question.

CHART #8

CHART #9

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Conclusion

Based upon our findings, it seems that ASU has provided an exceptional learning

experience for students taking online courses. An overwhelming number said they have a

willingness to take a second online course, and most students passed the online course they were

previously enrolled in. An important factor that should have been considered is whether these

students voluntarily enrolled in these online courses. Chart #1 asks each student if they will

most likely take another online course at some given point in their academic career. Although

the majority said yes, these numbers do not tell us why a student will take another online course

in the near future. In other words, it is critical to note whether online courses at ASU are

required or optional. This factor would tell us if students have an enthusiastic interest and

willingness to partake in an online course. Ultimately, online courses are becoming more

common and students across the country are eager to explore this new learning environment.

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