A Comparison of Online Courses with Traditional Face-To-Face Courses in the English Language Teaching Ph.D Program regarding the Students’ Point of View

Abstract

As the number of online courses at the level of master’s and Ph.D. is increasing all over the world, more studies are being conducted to find out whether these courses are as efficient as face-to-face courses by focusing on their strengths and weaknesses and offering suggestions to improve the overall experience of online learning. Motivated by the related literature, the current study aims to research the experience of learners and their readiness level for online Ph.D. courses in the Turkish context. To accomplish the aim of enriching the literature with detailed explanations of what is actually going on in an online course, what the students’ perspectives and satisfaction factors of online courses are in comparison to traditional face-to-face courses, five Ph.D. classmates were contacted. These students had to attend all of the courses at the English Language Teaching Program in Çukurova University from other cities, apart from one online course. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their experiences during the process of studying the online course, to compare it with the rest of face-to-face courses, and to research its impact on their lives. Transcribed interview data were processed with in-depth content analysis and recurring themes were grouped under similar categories. The findings of the current research revealed the participants were satisfied with the online course, thought online learning offers a rich and flexible setting of learning, and the outcomes of online learning and the face-to face learning are almost the same. However, the quality of the online course could be increased by advanced technological tools that enable a lively, authentic discussion. Also, students may be offered orientation to gain the qualifications necessary for the foundation of a doctoral program. More suggestions to improve the experience of online courses at Ph.D. level have been offered in the discussion part of the study. The study is important in term of contributing to the discussion on accomplishments of online courses at Ph.D. level.

Keywords

• Online Ph.D. courses
• learners’ perspectives
• suggestions for improvement.

A Comparison of Online Courses with Traditional Face-To-Face Courses in the English Language Teaching Ph.D Program regarding the Students’ Point of View

Öz

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Online Ph.D. courses
• learners’ perspectives
• suggestions for improvement.

Kaynakça

1. Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2003). Sizing the opportunity: The quality and extent of online education in the United States, 2002 and 2003. Sloan Consortium (NJ1),
2. Anthony, D. (2000). Distance learning and research dissemination using online resources. Nurse Researcher, 8(1), 53-64.
3. Beile, P. M., and D. N. Boote. 2002. Library instruction and graduate professional development: Exploring the effect of learning environments on self-efficacy and learning outcomes. Alberta Journal of Educational Research 48 (4):364–67.
4. Brooks, M. C., Fyffe, D. J., Atkinson, R., McBeath, C., Jonas-Dwyer, D., & Phillips, R. (2005). Are we comfortable yet? Developing a community of practice with PhD students at the university of melbourne.