Student attitudes and competency in statistical reasoning in introductory business statistics classes: A comparison of traditional and online delivery methods

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of online course delivery by comparing students' learning outcomes in a traditional face-to-face MGT 216 course with students' learning outcomes in an online MGT 216 course at Idaho State University, as well as to examine student attitudes toward statistics.; A study of student performance and attitudes was conducted using a quasi-experimental research design. Instruments administered included the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS) in pre-test and post-test formats, three ARTIST (Assessment Resource Tools for Improving Statistical Thinking) scales, and a researcher-designed test. The fully online class was conducted using WebCT with its course management software including discussion, email, and white board along with researcher designed instruction in video streamed format. CD-ROM instruction was also incorporated.; Results from all data analysis indicated there was no statistically significant difference in learning outcomes or attitudes toward statistics between participants in an online course and a traditional face-to-face course. These results appear to indicate the use of an online interface for these concepts in statistics did not adversely affect content acquisition for the targeted sample. Additionally, both groups tended to have a somewhat positive attitude toward statistics after only three weeks of instruction.