Rudestam and Newton (1992) said, "The goal of a methodology chapter is to provide a clear and complete description of the specific steps to be followed. It is necessary to describe these steps in sufficient detail to permit a naive reader to replicate your study" (p. 60).
The present study utilized a teacher and student survey in the printed form and World Wide Web version to access computer and communication skills and educational experiences of teachers and students who participated in the computer-based distance education in Indiana.
This study is descriptive in nature. As Borg, P. Gall, and D. Gall (1993) said, "descriptive research as it’s name implies, aims to describe the characteristics of the phenomena being studied." The statistical analysis also used the t Test for comparison between the same questions which were asked from teachers and students about concerns and advantages of computer-based distance education classes in Indiana. In this study, the computer-based distance education class was a class in which the computer was the only means of delivery for the course and for communication between the teacher and students. The procedures utilized in this study are described in detail in the following sections.
Population
In the research, populations of interest means the entire group of persons having the characteristic or characteristics that interest the researchers (Borg; P. Gall & D. Gall, 1993). In conducting this study, two groups of populations were identified for this study: teachers who have taught computer-based distance education classes in one of the higher education institutions in Indiana, and students who registered in the computer-based distance education in one of the higher education institutions in Indiana. The main criterion for the teacher was that he or she taught a computer-based distance education class in Indiana. The main criterion for the students was to be registered in one of the computer-based distance education classes offered by one of the higher education institutions in the Fall 1996, in Indiana. The detailed information about the sampling of this population is provided later in this chapter.
Instrument Design
Because of limited research in computer-based distance education in Indiana, it was necessary to develop a new instrument for this study. The following sequence of steps for development of the teacher and student surveys included:
1. A preliminary teacher questionnaire and student questionnaire were developed with the inputs from three experts in the field of computer-based distance education.
2. An expert in research design and statistical analysis examined the questionnaires and made recommendations about the proper scaling technique and wording of options in the items of the questionnaires.
3. Four experts (doctoral committee members) examined both questionnaires.
4. Both survey questionnaires were field tested.
5. The final versions of the teacher and student questionnaires were implemented on the WWW, and the student questionnaire was mailed to twenty students who preferred a printed questionnaire.
The initial questionnaires were created based on the review of the literature in the field. The literature review provided valuable information about which questions should be asked in order to cover the computer and telecommunication skills, technology support, training programs, and educational experience in computer-based distance education in Indiana. An interview with three experts about the status and position of computer-based distance education and researcher’s personal involvement in the computer-based distance education at Ball state University also facilitated the development of items and wordings in the questionnaire. The valuable recommendations for improvement from the researcher’s doctoral committee members in the dissertation proposal meeting were major steps in the improvement and finalizing of the teacher and student questionnaires.
Field Test
According to Borg, P. Gall & D. Gall (1993), it is impossible to predict how the items will be interpreted by respondents unless the researcher tries out the questionnaire and analyzes the responses of a small sample of subjects before starting the main study.
The major reasons for the field test were:
1. The researcher wanted to evaluate the conversion of responses to data in order to examine the ability of the survey in producing the desired data.
2. The researcher wanted to evaluate the wording of the questions and items in the questionnaires and receive comments from teacher and student participants in the field test.
3. The researcher wanted to evaluate the clarity of the language and directions for completing the two questionnaires (McDonald, 1991).
In July 1996, with cooperation of the coordinator of instructional and computer resources in the School of Nursing, three faculty and eighteen students in NUR322 were requested to participate in the field test. The three faculty have taught computer-based distance education classes and provided many valuable suggestions for the improvement of Question 6’s items ‘a’ and ‘c’ of the teacher questionnaire. From the eighteen questionnaires mailed to students in the NUR322, fourteen responded to the questionnaire and provided advice for changes in Questions 16 and 17 of the student questionnaire. Based on the recommendation from other teacher and student participants in the field test, from a research designer, and from the doctoral committee members, the final questionnaires for the teacher and student were developed.
Questionnaire Design
Survey research typically employs questionnaires and interviews to determine the opinions, attitudes, preferences, and perception of persons of interest to the researcher (Borg, P. Gall & D. Gall, 1993).
The survey methodology was chosen for this study for the following reasons.
1. To ask the same questions from all the participants in the study (McDonald, 1991).
2. To use descriptive research for summarizing and analyzing collected data.
3. To report the results of each question with a larger number of inputs.
The questionnaire included both the closed form which permits limited responses (a multiple choice question) and open form which permits any responses in the participant’s own words. The questionnaires was expected to accomplish the following tasks.
1. To collect data from teachers who were teaching computer-based distance education classes in the higher education institutions in Indiana.
2. To collect data from students who were registered in computer-based distance education classes which were offered by the higher education institutions in Indiana, in the Fall Semester 1996.
The teacher questionnaire content was divided into: computer applications and tools, teacher’s skill level in computer and communication, advantages of this method of delivery, and teacher’s concerns. The student questionnaire was divided into: demographic information, student’s skill level in computer and communication, computer applications and tools, educational experiences, advantages of this method of delivery, and student’s concerns.
Sample
Because of the expense and time involved in studying most of the population of interest, researchers must content themselves with studying a sample of persons who presumably represent that population (Borg, P. Gall, and D. Gall, 1993). The samples for this study were comprised of two different groups.
1. Teachers who teach computer-based distance education in one of the higher education institutions in Indiana.
2. Students who registered in one of the computer-based distance education classes which are offered in the Fall 1996, by one of the colleges or universities in Indiana.
The Director of Program Service at the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS) recommended the researcher employ the use of the LISTSERV (disted-ind@ind.net) which contained about 200 faculty, students, and administrators of higher education institutions in Indiana to contact some of the potential subjects for the present study. The common interest of the members of this LISTSERV is distance education programs and activities in Indiana. The second population seeking source for this study was the World Wide Web (WWW) site http://www.ind.net/ISPE/, which had the names and addresses of all the faculty who were teaching computer-based distance education classes in one of the higher education institutions in Indiana. The third source was the School of Continuing Education and Public Service at Ball State University, which had the list of faculty who had taught computer-based distance education classes in the Fall 1996, at Ball State University.
Convenience Sample Using Intact Classes
A convenience sampling technique was used in this research. Convenience sampling occurs when the researcher simply collects data from whomever is available or can be recruited to participate in the study. Such voluntary data-providing groups, if they serve as the basis for inferential statement, are called convenience samples (Huck and Cormier, 1996). The convenience sampling technique was appropriate because of the limited number of participants in the computer-based distance education classes in Indiana and the difficulty in identifying and reaching all the qualified subjects.
Due to the small number of potential participants in the data collection, the sampling included all faculty whose names and e-mail addresses were published in the IHETS list of computer-based distance education classes in the Fall Semester, 1996, in Indiana.
Distribution of Survey
Descriptive research involves collecting data in order to test hypotheses or to answer questions concerning the current status of the subject of the study. On September 16, 1996, the survey was implemented on the WWW, and an e-mail message (see Appendix A) was sent to the LISTSERV (disted-ind@ind.net). The message explained the purpose of the study, provided direction for completion of survey, and the addresses of the teacher and student survey which were recorded on the WWW. On the same day, 20 questionnaires (see Appendix B) with a cover letter (see Appendix B) were mailed in postage-paid envelopes to students whose teacher indicated they preferred printed questionnaires. The researcher also prepared separate e-mail messages (see Appendix c) for those 16 faculty whose courses were included in the IHETS WWW site (http://www.ind.net/ISPE/intcourse.html) as courses at Indiana institutions taught via the Internet. In this message, the researcher explained that if their students preferred printed questionnaires, teachers should send the researcher their students’ home addresses by e-mail. Five faculty from the IHETS list responded that they were not teaching any computer-based distance education classes in the Fall Semester, 1996. Six of them responded that they would participate in the survey and/or would share the student survey address with their students. Five faculty did not respond to the request for participation. The researcher met twice with the staff in the Department of Continuing Studies of Indiana University. The researcher also met with two faculty from Indiana University, in order to explain this study and to request participation. The researcher received additional names of faculty who have been active in computer-based distance education from Indiana University, Purdue University, and Indiana State University. The researcher sent e-mail messages to all these faculty and invited them to participate in the study.
Second Mailing
On September 23 & 24, 1996, a second e-mail message (see Appendix C) was sent to the faculty whose classes were included in the IHETS list on the WWW (www.ind.net/ISPE). On September 30, 1996, a second e-mail message (see Appendix A) was sent to the LISTSERV (disted-ind@ind.net). The researcher also talked by telephone with many individual faculty members from Purdue, Indiana, Ball State, and Indiana State universities asking for their contributions to the study. On September 26, 1996, the faculty of those twenty students who received the printed questionnaires, were sent an e-mail message as a reminder to students regarding their participation in the study.
Coding Data
Two type of data were collected, teachers’ data and students’ data. The inputs from teachers and students survey on the WWW (see Appendix D) was converted with a CGI script on the UNIX system (see Appendix E) to numerical codes and text. Then, the data were transferred to the researcher’s personal account on the VAX. After reformatting the data files, two FORTRAN programs (see Appendix F) using embedded SQL commands loaded data from the VAX system into the database tables. The Oracle tables resided in the researcher’s private Oracle account area. The researcher utilized the student questionnaire on the WWW to enter the inputs from students’ printed questionnaires.
Statistical Analysis
The Statistical System is a computer software program used to perform various statistical analyses on data (Borg, P. Gall, and D. Gall, 1993). The numerical data in a research study are subjected to various statistical analysis. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Oracle Relational Database Management System were used to conduct analyses of the collected data. The collected data were divided to two groups.
Close-ended questionnaire data: all the closed-ended questions were converted to the numerical values and stored in the Oracle tables. The statistical tools which analyzed and interpreted data were: frequency distributions, cross tabulations, and the t Test.
Frequency Distribution:
Frequency distribution showed how many subjects were similar in the sense that, measured on the dependent variable, they ended up in the same category or had the same score (Huck & Cormier, 1996). The researcher used frequencies for variables which have several distinct values.
The t Test:
The researcher used the t test to compare the means of two groups on the values of the variables.
Cross Tabulation:
Cross Tabulations were used to indicate the relationship between two categorial variables. The Cross Tabulations were done on two categorial variables, concerns and advantages of computer-based distance education in the present study.
Open-ended questionnaire data: Responses to the open-ended questions were tabulated as frequency counts. The responses to Questions #18 of the student’s survey and #12 of the teacher’s survey were categorized into major domains.
Limitation of the Study
The following list of limitations in this study included:
1. The possibility of wrong interpretation and the ambiguity of questions.
2. The need for basic technical knowledge regarding computers and regarding communication can limit participation.
3. The time and expertise to construct the survey on the WWW can limit the utilization of this method with the current technology.
4. The field test contained teachers and students data only from Ball State University. Different results might have been produced if participants had been from different universities.
5. Lack of accurate, centralized, and statewide information about computer-based distance education activities in the higher education institutions in Indiana.
6. The research focus was limited to the computer-based distance education in Indiana. It is possible the communication technology and statewide policy are different in other states. These differences could limit generalization of results to larger population around the United States.
7. The limited number of classes offered by universities and colleges around Indiana, and the limited number of participants in this method of education were another limitation in accessing a larger group of participants.
8. The survey related to computer-based distance education on the WWW might have been the first in Indiana and the United States. This could have brought a different prospective to participants in comparison with printed survey and limited the number of participants in the study.
9. Accessing and completing the survey on the WWW required new and additional expertise (computer skills) for some of the participants in this study.
Summary
This was a descriptive study using teacher and student questionnaires. The questionnaires were designed in the printed form and on the WWW. A field test was conducted for improvement of the design of the questionnaire. Since this was the first computer-based distance education study which utilized WWW for distribution of a questionnaire, there were uncertainties about the reaction of participants in this study. Two main e-mail messages with follow-up messages were sent to group and individual faculty and administrators. In addition, there were many individual e-mail and telephone conversation to answer questions, discuss the questionnaires, and provide information. The questionnaires inputs were converted to data and loaded into the Oracle tables. Three statistical analyses were conducted on the collected data.