Cognitive Learning in Large Lectures of the Basic Communication Course: Does Delivery Format Matter?

Both large lectures and online formats are encouraged as viable options for the delivery of course material in higher education today, especially in large general education courses. However, how do such delivery formats impact student learning? In an effort to understand how lecture format impacts cognitive learning, this study investigated how the delivery format impacts the actual and perceived cognitive learning of students in a basic communication course in a midsized Midwestern university. Using one-way between-subjects ANOVA, earned exam grades, coded written reflections, and scores from a cognitive learning perception scale were compared across online, hybrid, and face-to-face lecture delivery formats. As predicted, no significant differences on any of the dependent variables were identified, indicating a lack of influence of delivery format on actual or perceived levels of cognitive learning. However, aspects of teacher immediacy, student learning preferences, and degree of interaction in recitation sections is discussed, along with implications for future research