Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance, retention of knowledge and perceptions of students enrolled in an online introductory turfgrass management course compared to their equivalent counterparts in a traditional classroombased section of the course. This was the instructor's first attempt at developing and teaching an online course and a great majority of the students had never been exposed to online learning, thus providing a unique opportunity to assess student learning differences and perceptions in a new learning environment. Nine different evaluation methods were used to compare the groups that included quantitative measures of student performance through pre- and post-tests, three mid-semester exams, a comprehensive final exam given twice over two semesters and qualitative measures of student perceptions through post course surveys and focus groups. Students enrolled in the online course performed equally to the classroom-based students in all quantitative measurements of student performance. Despite similar performance, post course surveys and focus groups revealed that online students generally were less comfortable with their learning environment and desired more interaction with the instructor and other students. A variety of recommendations for teaching strategies were suggested by students to improve online learning.
Keywords:
turfgrass management, online, traditional, students
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