A study of the effectiveness of the Iowa Communications Network as a distance learning system by comparing student achievement at the originating site and at remote sites

This study compares student achievement between studio students and remote students in a course taught over the Iowa Communications Network. The Iowa Communications Network is a two-way full motion fiber optics telecommunications system capable of linking students and instructors anywhere in Iowa;The students in a graduate school law course being taught over the Iowa Communications Network were selected to be the subjects of this study. The instructor was a lawyer who had previously taught the course, but had not taught a course over the Iowa Communications Network. The instructor had no special training and received no special training before teaching the course;The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of teaching over the Iowa Communications Network as it relates to student achievement. A comparison of achievement was made between the students at the originating site and the students at the remote sites. The comparisons were made using scores on a pretest/posttest, class participation grade, unit quizzes grade, final exam grade, and course grade;The students\u27 scores and grades were analyzed using a t-test and a Mann-Whitney U test. No significant difference was found in achievement between the two environments