Web-Conferencing Based Education: An Empirical Comparison with Face-to-Face Education

The advancement of technology and the widespread availability of the Internet have enabled web-conferencing basededucation. This research examines the relative efficacy of a web-conferencing based learning environment using AdobeConnect versus the traditional face-to-face classroom learning environment. Two instructional strategies – interactive versusdirect – in these learning environments and their effects on perceived learning and satisfaction are studied. Our findingssuggest that there is an interaction effect of learning environment and instructional strategy. In the interactive instructionalsessions, students in a web-conferencing based learning environment experienced a higher level of classroom interactivitythan those in a face-to-face classroom environment. Also, in the interactive instructional sessions, students in the webconferencingbased learning environment experienced higher perceived learning and satisfaction than those in the face-tofacelearning environment. No significant difference is observed between the direct instructional sessions of the twoenvironments.