Hsinchu Learners Perceptions of Online Courses

Abstract

Abstract

How do Taiwanese citizens in Hsinchu City, Taiwan (Hsinchu) perceive online classes (classes conducted over the Internet or a company’s Intranet)? Do these perceptions change when an online course does not consist of a teacher? If these online courses exist without a teacher and become popular, would this threaten traditional teacher-led classroom instruction? Other points to consider are age and educational background. Does age affect these perceptions in Hsinchu? Do Hsinchu learners with advanced degrees, for example, have more or less favorable perceptions of online classes than their less educated counterparts in Hsinchu? In the United States (US), online courses abound (Russo & Benson, 2005) and are readily available for almost anyone. Universities in the US continue to add more and more online courses to their curriculums in order to lower overall educational costs (Smart & Cappel, 2006). Numerous studies have shown that online education can be just as effective as traditional classroom education, yet few studies have been conducted to show how learners perceive online education. These few studies mostly focus on American learners. What about learners in Asia? More specifically, what about learners in Hsinchu City (Hsinchu), Taiwan? Do learners in the US and in Hsinchu share the same perceptions of online education? This thesis explores these questions and seeks to answer them. A statistical random sample of Taiwanese citizens in Hsinchu have been surveyed to identify these perceptions and to better understand the rationale for these perceptions. Additionally, interviews were given to further understand the possible differences between US and Hsinchu learners’ perceptions of online education.

Abstract

How do Taiwanese citizens in Hsinchu City, Taiwan (Hsinchu) perceive online classes (classes conducted over the Internet or a company’s Intranet)? Do these perceptions change when an online course does not consist of a teacher? If these online courses exist without a teacher and become popular, would this threaten traditional teacher-led classroom instruction? Other points to consider are age and educational background. Does age affect these perceptions in Hsinchu? Do Hsinchu learners with advanced degrees, for example, have more or less favorable perceptions of online classes than their less educated counterparts in Hsinchu? In the United States (US), online courses abound (Russo & Benson, 2005) and are readily available for almost anyone. Universities in the US continue to add more and more online courses to their curriculums in order to lower overall educational costs (Smart & Cappel, 2006). Numerous studies have shown that online education can be just as effective as traditional classroom education, yet few studies have been conducted to show how learners perceive online education. These few studies mostly focus on American learners. What about learners in Asia? More specifically, what about learners in Hsinchu City (Hsinchu), Taiwan? Do learners in the US and in Hsinchu share the same perceptions of online education? This thesis explores these questions and seeks to answer them. A statistical random sample of Taiwanese citizens in Hsinchu have been surveyed to identify these perceptions and to better understand the rationale for these perceptions. Additionally, interviews were given to further understand the possible differences between US and Hsinchu learners’ perceptions of online education.