A Comparative Analysis of Cultural Diversity Satisfaction Scores of Undergraduate Students in Online Learning Environment

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to analyze the differences of perceived overall satisfaction scores (organizational structure, technology usage, and curriculum design) between Caucasian, Latino-American, and African-American undergraduate students enrolled in an online program, as measured by the Cultural Diversity Satisfaction Survey (CDSS) instrument. This study compared the differences between three distinct diverse groups for overall satisfaction in an undergraduate online general elective course. The study participants were undergraduate students enrolled in an online general elective course in Virginia, n = 433. The study utilized a one-way ANOVA to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in means between the dependent variables, (a) organizational structure of the course, (b) learner’s understanding and usage of technology, and (c) curriculum design and the independent variable, the student’s ethnicity. It was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the satisfaction scores between two ethnic groups (African-American and Caucasians) in the design scores. Results also showed no statistical difference in the other two dependable variables between all three ethnic groups. It was concluded that two ethnic groups, African-American and Hispanics, view communication with faculty and peers very highly in an online course. Since it is expected that the Asian community in the U.S. may surpass Hispanics by the year 2065, it will be helpful to conduct a similar study comparing the satisfaction scores of all four ethnic groups in an online course