Online Learning Perceptions and Effectiveness of Research Methods Courses in a Hispanic-Serving Higher Education Institute

Abstract

In this article, the authors first reviewed related literature on possible factors that influence learning between an online learning (OL) course format and a face-to-face (F2F) course format. The authors investigated OL and F2F learning perceptions and effectiveness of a graduate-level research methods course at a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). Thirty-three graduate students who took the same introductory research methods course in different formats participated in this exploratory study. The authors conducted content analysis for qualitative data and exploratory data analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and mean comparisons for quantitative data using SPSS. Similarities and differences between OL and F2F in a research methods course from HSI learners’ perspectives were presented. Findings also revealed that perceived difficulty of coursework and perceived time involvement were important factors in delivering course content when designing either OL or F2F courses. Future directions, study limitations, and practical implications are discussed.