Learning Effectiveness Using Different Teaching Modalities

There is much discussion about whether online instruction is as effective as face-to-face instruction. To address this question, a comparative study was made of two sections of an MBA organizational theory course, one taught online and the other face-to-face. The content covered by both sections was the same with similar assignments and a common final examination. There was little difference between the sections on the results of the final examination or the student course evaluations. This study suggests that neither modality is more effective than the other with regard to student achievement or their perceptions of course effectiveness.