Article
A case study of online learners participating in the Oregon State University Extension Service master gardener training program
Journal of Applied Communication
(2003)
Abstract
As more and more Extension educational content
finds its way onto the World Wide Web, questions
persist among Extension educators about the effectiveness
of online delivery. Do Extension clients learn
as much from online Extension educational programs
as they do from classroom-based programs? And, are
Ex tension clients with computer and Internet experience
more likely to accept online educational programs
and be satisfied with them? At Oregon State
University, a team of Extension educators addressed
those questions via a study of learners participating in
the OSU Extension Service's Master Gardener program.
The study compared online learners with traditional
classroom learners and included pre- and posttest
ing, user surveys and correlation analysis. These
tools were used to assess the effectiveness of online instruction and to analyze characteristics and attitudes
of the learners. Statistical analysis of pre- and
post-test results indicated that both online and traditional
classroom learners performed similarly in terms
of amount of material learned. Correlation analysis
did not indicate any linkage between experience with
computers and the Internet and satisfaction with the
online course. However, the analysis did indicate
linkage between 1) college experience and satisfaction
with the online course, and 2) convenience of
taking a course online and satisfaction with the course
and willingness to take another online course. The
major implications of this research are that online
delivery of Extension educational programs can be as
effective as traditional delivery, and that convenience
of access is significantly associated with learner willingness
to take Extension educational programs online.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2003
Publisher Statement
Copyright 2003 Association for Communication Excellence
Citation Information
Bob Rost and Ann Marie VanDerZanden. "A case study of online learners participating in the Oregon State University Extension Service master gardener training program" Journal of Applied Communication Vol. 86 Iss. 2 (2003) p. 7 - 16 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/annmarie-vanderzanden/18/
Creative Commons license
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC_BY-NC-SA International License.