| It is now widely accepted that there are no significant differences in student achievement between comparable face-to-face and online courses (Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia, & Jones, 2010; Russell, 1999). There is limited research, however, on online education focused on graduate level students particularly in an MBA program. This study investigates whether previous findings at the undergraduate level in other disciplines are contiguous with the findings at the MBA graduate level. This mixed methods study compares face-to-face and online part-time MBA sections on student's academic achievement and satisfaction at a university in the North East. This study aims to improve the methodology used in previous studies, by comparing students enrolled in the same program, across several courses, over multiple semesters. The effects of clustered data (by course) were considered but were not required as the assumption of independence was maintained. The sample included part-time MBA students enrolled (N=1021) in eight courses over a three year period. Each course included a face-to-face and online section taught by the same faculty member over several semesters during the three year period. The preliminary analysis found that student characteristics (Undergraduate GPA, Graduate GPA, Undergraduate Major, Undergraduate Degree, GMAT score) did not vary by delivery mode (face-to-face, online). A regression analysis found no significant differences on achievement between face-to-face and online students. An ANOVA was conducted to see if satisfaction levels (Likert scale) varied between face-to-face and online students. Both groups reported positive satisfaction ratings, however, the results were not significantly different between the two delivery modes. A qualitative analysis was also completed on the self-reported reasons students chose to enroll in the online section. Important trends included a focus on flexibility and convenience, the high occurrence of both work and travel terms, and difficulties with scheduling. Of critical importance was that the alleged reasoning behind the motivation to take online courses was stated in several cases as "safety", which coming to campus for face-to-face sessions would not guarantee. |
