Online Vs Face-to-face Web-development Course: Course Strategies, Learning, and Engagement

Abstract

To address the increasing enrollment in Computer Science (CS), face-to-face (F2F) courses are often redesigned to online courses. For the success of a large-enrollment online CS class, it is important to design it with effective strategies that can enhance student learning and engagement. With this aim, we developed an online, third year web-development course, and redesigned its existing F2F version. This study focuses on examining the course strategies utilized in the two versions of of the course, and how students learning and engagement vary between these two offerings. In Fall 2019, we conducted experimental research with pre- and post-tests to collect data from these two sections. The participants of the study include 51 out of 103 online students, and 38 out of 72 F2F students. We identified course strategies that were more valuable to one group versus the other, and both the sections. In terms of student learning, we found that there was no significant difference between these sections. Behavioral engagement measures depicted how the online and F2F students engaged within their courses, and how it is related to students learning. We also found how the level of engagement varied in the online course according to the engagement factors that include performance, emotions, skills, and participation. The results of this study will inform online, F2F, and hybrid course design of upper-level CS courses.