What Undergraduates Say About Their Choice of Course Modality: Qualitative Results From a Large-Sample, Multidiscipline Survey

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding First and Early College Experiences as Online Learners

Abstract

Today’s undergraduate students often have choice about the modality (face-to-face or fully online) in which they complete a particular course. These decisions can be complex; however current scholarship does not fully represent this complexity. Some studies of modality choice have had impressive sample sizes, but have focused on a single discipline. Most have relied exclusively on closed-form surveys that focused on variables the researchers hypothesized to influence students’ decisions, and did not allow students to explain their choices in their own words. We present qualitative findings from one of the largest and most comprehensive studies yet conducted on undergraduates’ choice of course modality. Our data reveal dimensions of undergraduates’ modality choice not mentioned previously in the literature.

Authors

• Kevin D O'Neill, Simon Fraser University

• Suzanne Reinhardt, Simon Fraser University

• Kanthi Jayasundera