Board # 35 : Work in Progress: Analyzing Educational Methodologies for Electronic Technology Students

The evolution of the educational environment has rapidly evolved over the past decade. The Internet’s inclusivity has impacted demographic regions around the world that in many cases have limited educational access. In this paper, we examine our university’s educational environments; more specifically, traditional education vs. online education. Of the two, which one is more beneficial for students enrolled in our degree programs? There have been countless debates over which methodology produces better results. However, there are many dynamics that must be considered when attempting to answer that question. Our goal is to research which educational means is most beneficial for a particular student and which is not. Which student demographic performs best in traditional courses and why? Is online education more advantageous for our millennial students? Do non-traditional students require more flexibility but more faculty support? We have taken a sample set of courses which offer traditional and online classes in the College of Science and Technology, analyzed student outcome data and developed a hypothesis on which education method is more effective. We compare achievements in terms of individual effort, group effort and knowledge gained. This information is paramount because it allows us to study the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of our students which will advance the knowledge of faculty and researchers in our college about which strategies offer the most efficient results for future educational methodologies. It will also bring greater understanding of the student experience to College of Science and Technology’s mostly underrepresented student experience.