Perceptions of the Online Learning Experience

Online education is a relatively new phenomenon that has been developing over the past decade. While the implementation and popularity of online classes have expanded immensely, there is still some debate on whether it is a superior or inferior teaching method when compared to the traditional classroom. Due to society\u27s mixed views on this topic, I had the desire to explore students\u27 perceptions of the online learning experience and find ways to measure its ability to be effective. The purpose of my thesis was to conduct research that examined the effectiveness of online courses offered at the college level. Furthermore, my study analyzed significant differences between taking courses entirely online versus attending traditional classes. My hypothesis claimed that online education is more effective than the traditional classroom, and my research focused on a small group of UNI students as I attempted to capture their perspectives with regards to these educational techniques