A Comparative Analysis of Traditional

and Online Teaching Methods for

College Students - The Differences in
Delivery and Instruction.

Gideon Olugbami
CI 701
Introduction
•One of the major purposes of curriculum
development is to ensure that students at all levels
engage and receive a form of integrated and essential
learning experience that in turn contributes towards
their learning, development, future endeavors and
overall growth, Center for University Teaching (2009;
as cited in Cruickshank, 2018, p. 207)
Introduction – Contd.
• The terms ‘Virtual’, ‘In-person’, ‘On-line’, ‘Distant
Education’ have gained more popularity in the world
and especially the United States than previous years. In
recent years, the number of students opting for online
classes have increased, this is due to the wide
popularity that this method of instruction has received
and the flexibility it provides to college students .
 The shift in instructional medium is forcing
academic institutions, Instructors, and school
administrators to reconsider how they intend
to delivery their curricula (Clothey, 2016).

Introduction
– Contd. Educators and professors have become even
more challenged in this current pandemic
period to have their syllabus and curricula
redesigned to meet the needs of students in a
fast-paced and constantly changing
technological world.
 Research Purpose
 To a very large extent, the current pandemic situation
which affected the whole world has increased the
popularity of online system of education, with more
students are opting for online and virtual classes over
face to face.
• The purpose of this research was to compare the
traditional and online methods of teaching college
students, identify the similarities in terms of curriculum
development, differences in the mode of delivery and
instructional processes between each method. 
 Literature Review

• Curriculum design is seen to have a continuing effect on what is taught by teachers,

how it is taught and how they can access and interact with their students
(Cruickshank, 2018).

• Different researchers have had different view on curriculum planning and

instructional strategies used for both the traditional face-to-face class as well as the
online classes, this is because although student outcomes are the same, the framework
and instructional methods certainly does differ (Poniatowski, 2019).
 Current development models and online
learning

 Current research have shown in recent times that there has been a global
significant increase in the enrollment of online classes over face to face.

 Holme and Reid (2017), noted in their study the huge challenge of fitting
online education, using traditional face to face model curriculum and
instruction.
 Current development models and
online learning - Contd
• Lewis & Wang (2015) also evaluated the effectiveness of certain curriculum design and
technologies used in new student orientation with similarities, but a lot of faculty members had
issues navigating the technologies when compared with their peers who were assigned the
traditional face-to-face classes.
 Harwood et al. (2018) pointed out that despite the different challenges in the curricula of online
and in – person classes, there is no significant difference in student satisfaction overall and their
performances.
 Curriculum development models and
traditional face to face learning
 Not too much literature have addressed curriculum development of
online learning about how students have adjusted to the new normal.

 A growing number of educators hold that students are fine with online
learning, as it deals with the mobile media and this facilitates
interaction more than face to face (Poniatowski, 2019).
 Curriculum development models and traditional
face to face learning - Contd
 Holmes and Reid (2017) however opined that despite the growth in the online/virtual
learning, the importance of face to face cannot be relegated or downplayed.
 The millennia are the generation that are more comfortable with the online, while the
adult learners are down with traditional face to face (Iloh, 2018).
 Faulconer et al. (2020), came up with a survey result that there is no significant
difference between the online and traditional face to face curriculum development.
 The pandemic has increased the popularity of
the online/virtual learning, as compared to the
face to face that we are traditionally used to.

Administrators and faculties have had to

Conclusion redesign curricula the address both
instructional methods.

Holmes and Reid (2017) hold that students

have more than ever before accepted and
adjusted well to online/virtual than face to face.
Limitations to existing research

There are researchers with results

Also, not too many research
on different performances of
studies have explored the
students from the models, but not
comparison between both methods
much is known if same or different
of learning.
curriculum design is being used.
  Further qualitative and quantitative
research is recommended in order to
Direction of
explore more extensive different
future
curriculum designs for online and
research
face to face classes.
 References
• Clothey, R. A. (2016). Increasing diversity in international education: Programming for non-traditional students through an alternative curriculum

model. International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 8(1), 22-35.

• Cruickshank, V. (2018). Considering Tyler’s curriculum model in health and physical education. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 5(1),

207-214.

• Faulconer, E. K., Griffith, J., Dixon, Z., & Roberts, D. (2020). Comparing online and traditional student engagement and perceptions of undergraduate

research. Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research, 3(3), 48-59.  

• Harwood, K. J., McDonald, P. L., Butler, J. T., Drago, D., & Schlumpf, K. S. (2018).  Comparing student outcomes in traditional vs intensive, online

graduate programs in health professional education. BMC Medical Education, 18 (1). 

• Holmes, C. M., & Reid, C. (2017). A comparison study of on-campus and online learning outcomes for a research methods course. The Journal of Counselor

Preparation and Supervision 9(2)

• Lewis, E., & Wang, C. (2015). Using an online curriculum design and a cooperative instructional approach to orientate adjunct faculty to the online learning

environment. Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 63(2), 109-118.

• Poniatowski, K. (2019). Assessing flipped versus traditional classrooms: Is flipping really better? Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 74(4), 422–

437.
Questions