Computer/Telephone Pairing for Long Distance Learning

Abstract

In this study two approaches to the teaching of a social foundations of education course are compared. The first approach incorporates a computer-telephone linkage between two remote sites. The second consists of discussion and lectures in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting. The question the study seeks to answer is: Can the teleconferencing approach compare favorably with more traditional single-site teaching in terms of student satisfaction? The methods used to determine the level of satisfaction were primarily anthropological in nature: questionnaire and field notes. Findings indicate that students preferred the telelearning approach over the traditional face-to-face format. It is concluded that student satisfaction indicators auger well for the future of telelearning technology in continuing education programs.