Instructor and student perceptions of the online teaching/learning environment: a cross-cultural study.

Kwun, Obyung ; Alshare, Khaled A. ; Grandon, Elizabeth 等

ABSTRACT

This study compared instructors' and students' perceptions of online teaching/learning in the United States and South Korea and examined the impact of selected demographic variables on the participants' responses. Results showed that there was an agreement among the four sample groups for all statements regarding strengths and weaknesses of the online teaching/learning environment. However, pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences in means among instructor and student groups with respect to the degree of agreement or disagreement with each statement. American instructors and students showed stronger agreement or disagreement with the statements than their Korean counterparts. Similarly, the instructor groups showed stronger agreements or disagreements than the student groups. The demographic variables that were examined in the study had a little impact on participants' responses. While the preferred learning mode (face-to-face, online, and hybrid) had the strongest impact on American students' perceptions, previous experience with online environment and students' classification had the strongest impact on Korean students' perceptions. Teaching mode had the strongest impact on American instructors' perceptions, teaching mode and self-reported knowledge about computers had the strongest impact on Korean instructors' perceptions. Instructors' and students' major concerns about online teaching/learning were reported, and suggestions for administrators were also provided.

INTRODUCTION

The online teaching/learning environment has become an attractive option for delivering instruction. Projections for the year 2007 indicate that nearly 50 percent of all higher education learners will take some classes via the Internet (Tesone et al., 2003). Distance learning can potentially benefit both traditional and non-traditional students; particularly, non-traditional students. By taking online classes, they could increase their knowledge and skills without giving up jobs, leaving home, or losing income (Tesone and Ricci, 2003). Karelis (1999) noted that online courses hold great opportunity for postsecondary education with lower average per-student costs, while delivering pedagogically sound and even individually-tailored instruction. One of the major benefits of online courses is the opportunity to reach students by removing time and space barriers. It is not uncommon for a student in one country to take an online course taught by an instructor in another country. With the increased number of student and faculty exchange programs among universities around the globe, it is important to understand perceptions of students and instructors toward online course from other parts of the world. In addition, very little is known about cultural effect on student and instructor perceptions of online education.

This situation calls for a better understanding of the beliefs and perceptions of both instructors and students toward online courses. Understanding student and instructor perceptions may help educational institutions devise mechanisms to efficiently utilize this emerging environment for delivering instruction. Even though there have been some attempts to determine attitudes and concerns toward online courses (Wilson, 2001, Gerlich and Wilson, 2004), we still do not know whether these attitudes are universal and held across different cultures. With the increased number of student and faculty interchange programs among universities around the globe, it is important to have a better understanding of the role of culture in adopting the online environment. In order to make distance learning truly "distant," it is important to know perceptions of instructors from other parts of the world. In addition, very little is known about the variables that may influence instructors' perceptions about online education.

It is necessary to determine whether instructors and students' perceptions about online classes are the same across different cultures. This point is critical if colleges and universities desire to expand their horizons toward a truly 'distance' education. Reaching students not only from close proximities but also from far away locations is a challenge that educational institutions will face in the short run. Therefore, comprehending the factors that motivate students from different countries and cultures to take online classes is an important step toward fully using this online environment. The purpose of this study was to explore and compare perceptions of online teaching/learning environment among college instructors and students from the United States and South Korea. These two countries were selected because they share some similarities in terms of technology innovations (Internet Usage World Stats, 2004; Kim, 2004), and, at the same time, they differ in terms of culture characteristics (Hofstede, 1997). Additionally, the study examined selected variables such as gender, discipline/academic major, rank/student classification, teaching/learning style, prior experience of online teaching/learning, teaching/learning mode, self-reported knowledge about the online teaching/learning environment, and self-reported knowledge about computers that might influence instructors' and students' responses. More specifically, the following research questions were formulated:

RQ1a: Are there significant differences in perceptions of online
 teaching between American and Korean instructors?

RQ1b: Are there significant differences in perceptions of online
 learning between American and Korean students?

RQ2a: Are there significant differences in perceptions of online
 teaching/learning between American instructors and students?

RQ2b: Are there significant differences in perceptions of online
 teaching/learning between Korean instructors and students?

RQ3a: Are there impacts of selected demographic variables on
 instructors' responses?

RQ3b: Are there impacts of selected demographic variables on
 students' responses?

BACKGROUND PERSPECTIVES

As popularity of online courses increases, so does the research that focuses on these courses. Some relevant research topics include methodological issues (e.g., Adams and Seagren, 2004; Kinney and Robertson, 2003; Downes, 1999; Compora, 2003), comparison between online and 'face-to-face' instruction (e.g., Ury, 2004; Cooper, 2001), usage (e.g., Garrett et. al., 2000; Lundgren and Garret, 2002-2003), and students' attitudes and motivations to take online classes (e.g. Lundgren and Nantz, 2003; Brooks, 2003). A relatively small number of studies have attempted to understand instructors' perceptions of online courses (Crumpacker, 2001; Willis, 2001).

Instructors and students in the online environment encounter a number of issues. Some of the most-frequently cited issues for instructors include understanding the characteristics and needs of online students, adapting teaching styles to consider the needs of the students, administrative overhead in collecting and returning work, increased workloads, inconvenience of communication without the benefit of face-to-face interaction, and lack of support mechanisms to help online students overcome challenges with technology (Kleinman and Entin, 2002; Willis, 2001). Similarly, students must cope with difficulty in adjusting leaning styles, inconvenience of communication without the benefit of face-to-face interaction, and lack of support mechanisms (Gallini & Barron, 2001-2002; Haseman & Nuipolatoglu, 2002; Bolliger & Martindale, 2004; Chizmar & David, 2001; Perterson & Bond, 2004). These issues seem to be common in South Korea. Despite the popularity of online courses and high Internet adoption rate (Chung and Lim, 2002), the number of online courses available in Korea is still lower than expected. The adoption of online courses by instructors is mostly voluntary with very little support and training opportunities (Chung and Lim, 2002).

Individual differences have been known to influence perceptions and behaviors in various contexts (Brown, 1998; Childress, 2001; Munro & Rice-Munro, 2004). Although the effect of individual differences on perceptions toward online courses may be examined in some studies (Wilson, 2001; Gerlich and Wilson, 2004), more investigation is still needed, especially in a cross-cultural context. The following paragraphs discuss some of individual differences (variables) that could influence instructor and student perceptions.

Although researchers demonstrated mixed results, gender seems to be a factor that influences perceptions toward online courses. For example, while female students showed more favorable attitudes toward online courses than male students (Lundgren and Nantz, 2003), male instructors, compared to female instructors, were more likely to teach online courses (Gerlich and Wilson, 2004). The lack of studies on gender differences necessitates inclusion of this variable in the current study.

Discipline/academic major appears to have effects on the adoption of online courses. Various disciplines may require different pedagogical methodology, which may affect the adoption of online courses (Chen, et al., 2003). For example, business and social sciences disciplines in Korea showed higher rates of adoption of online classes (Chung and Lim, 2002). Thus, effect of discipline/academic major on the participants' perceptions was investigated in this study. The discipline/academic major was classified into three groups: business, hard sciences, and social sciences.

Those who adopted online course may be motivated by different factors such as efficiency and/or effectiveness of online courses, monetary reward, or promotion (Roger, 1995). The strength of these factors may be different depending on the academic rank (Wilson, 2001). Instructor rank is a variable that has not been thoroughly studied. An exception is a study by Garret et al. (2000) which reported that academic rank did not influence the intention to adopt a web site for the class. However, they also found that computer knowledge was a significant factor that affected the adoption of web site by instructors. A number of studies have focused on the relationship between computer experience and attitude toward computers. The results, however, have been mixed (Woodrow, 1994; Levine and Donitsa-Schmidt, 1998). We also believe that a person may know how to use a computer for specific software applications but may not have knowledge about using the Internet and related technologies. For students, the attitude toward the technology can be improved by improving computer experience and computer knowledge. (Rovai & Childress, 2002-2003). Therefore, the impacts of academic rank/student classification and self-reported knowledge about computers and self-reported knowledge about the online environment were examined.

Teaching/learning style may affect the way in which instructors design their web-based courses and the way in which students respond to the instructions on the online courses. Online technology changes to more student-directed pedagogical approaches, where students are allowed to suggest alternatives to meet course objectives (Williams, 2001). Online courses must be learner-centered, and students must be active participants in order to take advantage of the benefits of online courses (Munro & Rice-Munro, 2004). According to Miller (2000), learning styles can be classified into four styles: visual/verbal (You learn best when information is presented visually and in a written language format.), visual/nonverbal (You learn best when information is presented visually and in a picture or design format.), tactil/kinesthetic (You learn best when physically engaged in a "hands on" activity.), and auditory/verval (You learn best when information is presented auditory in an oral language format.). On the other hand, Grasha (1996) defined four clusters that group different teaching styles. Formal authority is defined as a cluster in which the instructor presents information and students receive knowledge. Demonstrator refers to a teaching style in which instructors encourage students to observe processes as well as content. It emphasizes modeling and demonstration. In the facilitator cluster, instructors design activities, social interactions, or problem solving situations that allow students to practice the process of applying course content. Finally, the delegator cluster places much of the learning burden on the students. In this cluster, instructors provide complex tasks that require student initiative. Based on these teaching/learning clusters, we studied whether self-reported measure of teaching/learning style makes a difference in instructors and students' perceptions of online teaching/learning environment. The definitions of teaching/learning styles were provided in the survey for instructors and students.

Many instructors are still reluctant to use the Internet for delivering course materials and are even resistive to efforts to increase the use of online courses (Lundgren and Garret, 2002-2003). Even with the training related to the use and integration of information technology into courses, very few instructors intended to implement the technology soon (Garrett et al., 2000). This may be because they still have to cope with various issues. To investigate this issue, the impact of prior experience of online environment was examined. Prior experience with online environment influence students' perceptions and adoptions of online courses (Grandon etal., 2005). Once students take online courses, they tend to understand strengths and weakness of online environment more clearly. Thus, the prior experience with online teaching/learning (taught/completed online classes) was investigated.

A complementary relationship between online and face-to-face courses has been suggested by some researchers. Many institutions are expanding their online programs, while keeping face-to-face counterpart, rather than replacing one with the other (Holden and Mitchell, 1993; Christensen, 2002). Although students perceived that they learned more through face-to-face instruction and were more satisfied with this method than with online courses (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2003), empirical studies do not show significant differences between online and face-to-face course performance (Thirunarayanan and Perez-Parado, 2001-2002; Peterson and Bond, 2004). In this study, the effects of instructors' and students' preferred method of teaching/learning (face-to-face, online, and hybrid) were examined.

As mentioned previously, the two main reasons for selecting USA and South Korea were the similarity of their leadership role in technology innovation and usage and the differences in their culture characteristics. A study by Internet World Stats (2004) shows that 67 percent of the American population were Internet users by February 2004 with an Internet use growth of 103 percent from 2000 to 2004. These high rates of Internet adoption are also shown in South Korea. By 2004, Internet users in Korea account for 65.5 percent of the total population (Kim, 2004). These numbers represent the highest Internet usage rates in the world.

With respect to their cultural differences, Hofstede's (1997, 2001) research on cultural dimensions provides a theoretical underpinning that could help in explaining differences in instructors and students' perceptions of online teaching/learning in the two countries. In his study, Hofstede surveyed 50 different countries, including the USA and South Korea. He identified four dimensions that can be used to distinguish among different cultures: power distance, individualism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance.

Power distance (PDI), defined as "the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally" (Hofstede, 1997, p. 28) is larger for Korea than for the USA (60 vs. 40). In a teaching/learning environment, larger values of power distance mean considerable dependence of students on teachers; students are unlikely to approach and contradict their teachers directly. On other hand, in a culture with low value of power distance, instructors and students challenge new ideas (e.g., utilizing the online environment). Individualism (IDV), defined as "the interest of the individual prevails over the interest of the group" (Hofstede, 1997, p. 50) is significantly higher for the USA than Korea (91 vs. 18). Larger values of IDV mean more individualistic countries/societies. The USA culture is characterized by being individualistic, which may influence student perceptions toward online classes. An individualist culture does not put much attention on social relations and interactions, which may not be present in an online class setting. On the other hand, Korea is characterized by being a collectivistic culture. Koreans emphasize the co-dependency between individuals and groups where the groups extend beyond the immediate family. Taking online classes may be considered an individualistic venture for Korean students. In addition, as risk avoiders, Korean students may be more hesitant to take online classes.

Masculinity (MAS), defined as "pertains to societies in which social gender roles are clearly distinct" (Hofstede, 1997, p. 82) is higher for the USA than Korea (62 vs. 40). Larger values of MAS mean more distinct social roles between men and women with dominant societal values such as assertiveness, acquisition of money, and focus on material success. Finally, uncertainty avoidance (UAI), which is defined as "the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations," (Hofstede, 1997, p. 113) is stronger for Korea than for USA (94 vs. 46). Larger values of UAI mean more avoidance to uncertainty. In other words, the American instructors and students, compared to their Korean counterparts, would be greater risk takers, and thus, willing to explore new methods of teaching/learning. Figure 1 graphically shows the cultural differences between the two countries on the four dimensions.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Even though USA and Korea share certain characteristics, such as leadership in technology innovation, we believed that differences in Hofstede's cultural dimensions between them influence, to certain extent, instructor and student perceptions of the online teaching/learning environment.

RESEARCH METHODS

Survey Questionnaire

The survey questionnaire consisted of three sections. The first section requested various types of demographic information, including gender, discipline/major, rank/student classification, tenure status, and teaching/learning style. The second section asked feedback from the participants regarding reasons related to teaching/taking online classes and their concerns about the online teaching/learning environment. The third section included seven statements that focused on measurement of instructor and student perceptions toward online teaching/learning. These statements were adapted and modified from previous studies by Lundgren and Nantz (2003), Gerlich and Wilson (2004), and Garret et al. (2000). The survey instrument was developed, reviewed for content as well as readability, and modified accordingly. Back translation procedure (Brislin, 1986) was used to ensure that the meaning of the questions was not lost during the translation process. As a result, minor changes were made to the Korean version of the instrument. Instructors responded to those statements on a five-point Likert scale, which ranged from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5).

Samples, Data Collection, and Statistical Techniques

More than 200 copies of the survey questionnaire were administered to convenience samples of college instructors in the United States and South Korea during Summer and Fall 2004. Approximately, 400 copies of the student survey questionnaire were distributed to convenience samples of college students in the United States and South Korea. For the American samples, the survey was distributed to instructors and students who represented various disciplines at a Midwestern university. In Korea, one of the authors distributed the survey to instructors and students from different disciplines at two universities. Ninety-two American instructors, 144 American students, 41 Korean instructors, and 226 Korean students completed the survey. SPSS statistical software was used to compute frequencies, means, and percentages. In addition, T-test and ANOVA analyses were used to test for significant differences among the samples.

DATA ANALYSIS

Tables 1 and 2 summarized profiles of the samples. Fifty six percent of the American instructors were males, compared to 83 percent of the Korean sample. Twenty percent and 24 percent of American instructors, compared to 56 percent and 20 percent of the Korean sample, were teaching in business and hard-science disciplines, respectively. Fifty-six percent of American instructors, compared to 24 percent of the Korean sample, were teaching in social sciences. Seventeen percent and 31 percent of the American instructors, compared to 22 percent and 36 percent of the Koreans, were instructors and assistant professors. Thirty-two percent and 18 percent of the American sample, compared to 14 percent and 26 percent of the Korean sample, were associate and full-professors. The majority of the American instructors indicated that they follow the "facilitator" style as a method of teaching; the Korean instructors indicated that they follow the "formal authority" as a method of teaching. While forty-nine percent of American instructors indicated that they preferred face-to-face as teaching mode, 61 percent of the Korean instructors reported that they preferred the hybrid mode. Forty-three percent of American instructors, compared to 15 percent of Korean instructors, reported that they had taught online classes. Approximately, one-half of the instructors in both countries who did not teach online classes had a web site for their classes. For those instructors who did not have a web site, the reasons for not having a web site vary among the two samples. While American instructors indicated that the lack of time and knowledge as the main reasons, Korean instructors reported the lack of support and incentives were the main reasons for not having a web site.

Sixty two percent of the American students were male, compared to 22 percent of the Korean sample. The majority (88 percent) of the American students was in business, whereas the majority (68 percent) of the Korean students was in social sciences. The American students consisted of 31 percent freshmen, 23 percent sophomore, 31 percent junior, and 14 percent senior, compared to 31 percent freshman, 32 percent sophomore, 28 percent junior, and 8 percent senior of Korean students. Approximately, three-quarters of students reported that they had access to the Internet from home. The majority of students indicated that the cost of the Internet was fair to expensive. While only 28 percent of American students completed online classes, 60 percent of Korean students completed online classes. The average number of hours per day using computers and the Internet was 3.2 and 2.37, respectively for American students and 2.74 and 2.69 for the Korean students. The majority of American students reported that they preferred the "face-to-face" learning method. On the other hand, Korean students preferred the hybrid method.

RESULTS OF THE STUDY

Results of the study are presented in three sections. The initial section provides the answers for the research questions (RQ1a-RQ2b). In order to answer these research questions, t-test was performed. The second section includes the answers for the research questions (RQ3a and RQ3b). These research questions were answered by using the ANOVA procedure that analyzed whether some variables such as gender, discipline/academic major, rank/student classification, and teaching/learning style influenced instructor and student responses. Other variables that were examined involved prior online teaching/learning experience, teaching/learning mode, self-reported knowledge about the online environment, and self-reported knowledge about computers. The third section reported feedback from the participants on reasons for or for not teaching/taking online classes and their main concerns about the online environment.

A Comparison of the Perceptions

There was agreement between American and Korean instructors on all statements included in the survey, as shown in Table 3a. However, the two groups significantly differed on their extent of agreement or disagreement with such statements. American and Korean instructors alike disagreed with the following statements--"The online class environment is more effective;" "Whatever I deliver in a face-to-face class, I would deliver it in an online class;" and "Online setting is the most appropriate method of teaching in today's environment." However, American instructors, compared to Korean instructors, had a stronger disagreement with such statements.

Nevertheless, both American and Korean instructors were more likely to agree with the following statements--"I am aware that I may lose some of the advantages of face-to-face classes if I teach an online class," and "It would be easy to cheat and plagiarize in an online course." While American instructors strongly believed in the former statement, Korean instructors had a stronger support for the latter statement. Finally, American and Korean instructors alike supported the following statements--"An online class would require more of my effort than a face-to-face class," and "For students who are taking a class online, it would be more difficult than taking the class in a traditional face-to-face environment."

Except for one statement ("For students who are taking a class online, it would be more difficult than taking the class in a traditional face-to-face environment."), there was agreement between student groups on all statements. While American students did support the statement, Korean students were neutral. However, the two groups significantly differed on their extent of agreement or disagreement with a few statements. American and Korean students alike disagreed with the following statements--"The online class environment is more effective;" "Whatever I learn in a face-to-face class, I would learn it in an online class;" and "Online setting is the most appropriate method of learning in today's environment." However, American students, compared to Korean students, had a stronger disagreement with such statements. Nevertheless, both American and Korean students were more likely to agree with the following statements--"I am aware that I may lose some of the advantages of face-to-face classes if I take an online class," and "It would be easy to cheat and plagiarize in an online course." While American students strongly believed in the former statement, Korean students had a stronger support for the latter statement. Finally, American and Korean students alike supported the following statement--"An online class would require more of my effort than a face-to-face class."

As shown in Table 4a-b, same observations were found when comparing instructor and student responses for each country. However, in both countries, instructors, compared to students, showed stronger agreements or disagreements with the statements. For example, instructors in both countries, compared to students, had a stronger support to the following statements--"An online class would require more of my effort than a face-to-face class," and "I am aware that I may lose some of the advantages of face-to-face classes if I teach an online class."

Variables Affecting Instructor and Student Responses

This section provided answers for the research questions "Are there impacts of selected demographic variables on instructor responses?" and "Are there impacts of selected demographic variables on student responses?" A number of variables including gender, discipline/major, rank/student classification, and teaching/learning style were examined. Additional variables that were tested included prior experience of teaching/learning online, teaching/learning mode, self-reported knowledge about online environment, and self-reported knowledge about computers. ANOVA was used as the basis for determination of statistically significant differences. A summary of findings is presented in Tables 5a-b.

Perceptions of Korean instructors were affected only by instructors' preferred teaching modes (face-to-face, online, or hybrid) and self-declared knowledge about computers. On the other hand, perceptions of American instructors seemed to be influenced by all of variables, except discipline and rank. Perceptions of Korean students were affected by academic major, classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior), and prior experience of online learning. Perceptions of American students were influenced by gender, learning style, preferred learning mode, and knowledge of the online environment.

Gender did not have any significant effect on Korean instructor and student responses. Korean male and female of instructors and students had similar perceptions about online teaching/learning. Male American instructors and students, however, were more likely to support the statement--"I am aware that I may lose some of the advantages of face-to-face classes if I teach/take an online class" than their female counterparts. While male American students agreed with the statement--"It would be easy to cheat and plagiarize in an online course," female American students disagreed.

Discipline was a variable that did not influence instructor responses, but it did impact Korean students. Korean students with business majors agreed with the statement--"Whatever I learn in a face-to-face class, I would learn it in an online class." On the other hand, Korean students with social or hard sciences did not agree with the statement.

The rank of the instructors and classifications of students did not have any significant effect on instructors' or students' responses with the exception of Korean students. Korean senior and junior students were more likely than their freshmen and sophomore counterparts to disagree with the statement--"Online setting is the most appropriate method of learning in today's environment," and they were more likely to agree with the statement--"For students who are taking a class online, it would be more difficult than taking the class in a traditional face-to-face environment."

Regardless of teaching style, instructors from Korea and the USA supported the statement--"I am aware that I may lose some of the advantages of face-to-face classes if I teach an online class." However, there were significant differences in means for American instructors, depending on their teaching style. For instance, pairwise comparisons indicated that there were significant statistical differences between formal authoritative and facilitator styles (p=0.028) and between formal authoritative and delegator styles (p=0.05). In addition, American instructors disagreed with the statement--"Online setting is the most appropriate method of teaching in today's environment." Yet, there were significant differences in means between instructors with formal authoritative and delegator styles (p=0.044), between instructors with demonstration and facilitator styles (p=0.027), and between demonstration and delegator styles (p=0.008). With respect to student responses, learning style influenced only American student responses. Visual/verbal and auditory/verbal, compared to visual/nonverbal and tactil/kinesthetic, were more likely to disagree with the following statements--"The online class environment is more effective," and "An online class would require more of my effort than a face-to-face class."

Previous experience teaching online courses did not seem to influence perceptions of online classes among Korean instructors. In contrast, American instructors who taught online courses, compared to those who did not, were more likely to disagree with statement--"The online class environment is more effective" (p= 0.001) and the statement--"Online setting is the most appropriate method of teaching in today's environment" (p = 0.002). However, they were more likely to support the statement "I am aware that I may lose some of the advantages of face-to-face classes if I teach an online class" (p=0.037). On the other hand, prior experience of taking online courses impacted Korean student perceptions, but not those of American students. Korean students who took online courses, compared to those who did not, were more likely to disagree with statement--"The online class environment is more effective." However, they were more likely to support the statement "I am aware that I may lose some of the advantages of face-to-face classes if I take an online class"

The preferred teaching/learning mode (face-to-face, online, and hybrid) significantly impacted American instructors, Korean instructors, and American student perceptions. Korean instructors who selected face-to-face as their preferred teaching mode, compared to those who preferred the hybrid mode, were more likely to disagree with the statement "The online class environment is more effective" (p = 0.026). Similarly, significant differences in means were found for American instructor perceptions. Pairwise comparisons showed significant differences among American instructors who preferred the face-to-face mode of teaching and those who preferred the hybrid environment (p = 0.00) and between those who preferred online mode and those who preferred the hybrid mode (p=0.005). American instructors who preferred face-to-face environment were more likely to disagree with the statement--"The online class environment is more effective." In the same way, there were significant differences in means for perceptions of American instructors between those who preferred face-to-face environment and those who preferred the hybrid mode (p=0.031) with respect to the following statement--"Whatever I deliver in a face-to-face class; I would deliver it in an online class." Additionally, the pairwise comparison indicated that there were significant differences between means for instructor perceptions between those who preferred face-to-face and hybrid modes (p=0.00) for the following statement--"Online setting is the most appropriate method of teaching in today's environment." Instructors who preferred the face-to-face environment were more likely to disagree with the previous statement. American instructors who preferred online environments, compared to those who preferred the hybrid mode, were more likely to support the statement--"I am aware that I may lose some of the advantages of face-to-face classes if I teach an online class" (p=0.042). All instructors, regardless of their preference of teaching mode, supported the statement--"It would be easy to cheat and plagiarize in an online course."

American students who preferred the face-to-face or hybrid environment, compared to those who preferred the online environment, were more likely to disagree with the statements--"The online class environment is more effective," "Whatever I learn in a face-to-face class, I would learn it in an online class," and "Online setting is the most appropriate method of learning in today's environment." However, they were more likely to support the statement--"For students who are taking a class online, it would be more difficult than taking the class in a traditional face-to-face environment."

Self-reported measure of knowledge of the online environment was a variable that influenced only the American respondents. American instructors who indicated that their knowledge of the online environment was poor to fair were more likely to disagree with the statement--"The online class environment is more effective" (p=0.021). American students who indicated that their knowledge of the online environment was poor to fair were more likely to disagree with the statement--"Whatever I learn in a face-to-face class, I would learn it in an online class." On the other hand, students who reported that their knowledge of the online environment was good to excellent were more likely to agree with the statement--"It would be easy to cheat and plagiarize in an online course."

In both countries, self-reported measure of knowledge about computers influenced only instructor responses. American instructors who indicated that their knowledge about computers was poor to fair were more likely to disagree with the statement--"The online class environment is more effective" (p=0.002). Korean instructors who rated their knowledge as "good-to-excellent" were more likely to support the statement that "It would be easy to cheat and plagiarize in an online course." (p=0.05).

To summarize the impact of the demographic variables, one can observe that while teaching mode had the strongest impact on the American instructor perceptions, teaching mode and self-reported knowledge about computers had the strongest impacts on the Korean instructors. On the other hand, learning mode had the strongest impact on the American student perceptions, student classification and prior experience with the online learning environment had the strongest impacts on the Korean student perceptions.

Instructor and Student Feedback on the Online Teaching/Learning Environment

As shown in Table 6, when participants were asked for the reasons of why they taught/took online classes, American instructors indicated career development and administration pressure as the major incentives. Also, instructors in both countries indicated that attracting more students to their programs and enjoying teaching online were among the reasons for teaching online classes. Students in both countries reported that the main reason for taking online classes was the flexibility with class schedules. Other reasons were mentioned were "better for work schedule" and "reducing commuting time."

While American instructors indicated that the lack of time and knowledge about the online teaching environment were the major reasons for not teaching online classes, Korean instructors reported that lack of university support, lack of knowledge about the online environment, and lack of monetary incentives as the major reasons for not teaching online classes. Other reasons for not teaching online classes that were identified by the instructors in both countries included the lack of compatibility of some disciplines with online teaching environment and the lack of demand for such classes. Even though extra support such as training, technical staffs, and monetary incentives might help in developing positive perceptions toward online courses, some instructors still believed that online teaching environment did not fit well with the methodology of their disciplines. On the other hand, students in both countries indicated that "no need" was the primarily reason for not taking online classes.

American and Korean instructors alike indicated that the lack of face-to-face interaction and assessment issues were their main concerns about online teaching environment. Other concerns were the difficulty of integrating field trips and lab experiments into online classes and technology-related issues. Similarly, students in both countries reported that the lack of face-to-face interaction and technology issues were their main concerns. Other concerns included lack of clear expectations and the quality of instruction.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

This study examined perceptions of American and Korean instructors and students on a number of statements related to online teaching/learning environment. Even though both countries differ in terms of cultural characteristics (Hofstede, 1997), instructors and students in both countries had similar perceptions of online teaching/learning environment. However, the four groups significantly differed on their extent of agreement or disagreement with the statements. For example, American instructors had stronger significant agreements or disagreements with four statements (statements 1, 3, 4, and 5), compared to one statement where Korean instructors had a stronger significant agreement (statement 7). The same pattern was noticed when comparing American students with Korean student perceptions. American students had stronger significant agreement or disagreement with four statements (statements 1, 3, 4, and 6), compared to one statement where Korean students had a stronger significant agreement (statement 7).

While American culture may be more prone to risk taking and willingness to assume change, but at the same time they challenge new ideas, Korea, on the other hand, exhibited a culture that is less prone to risk taking and, in general terms, may avoid change. Therefore, one can expect American respondents to be in favor of the online teaching/learning environment, compared to Korean participants. However, the results showed that Korean instructors and students appeared to have more favorable perceptions of online teaching. This was shown by the extent of agreement or disagreement with positive and negative statements toward online classes. One can say that American instructors and students were more aware of the strength and weakness of the online teaching/learning environment than Korean instructors and students. Therefore, their reactions to the statements, compared to those of Koreans, were primarily based on actual experiences than perceptions. Moreover, the cultural dimensions could have mixed effects on American respondents. For example, American instructors and students would more likely challenge the idea of using the online environment.

With respect to the impact of selected demographic variables on participant perceptions, results showed that there was little impact. While discipline and rank did not influence American instructor perceptions, gender, discipline, rank, teaching style, prior experience of online teaching, and self-reported knowledge about online teaching environment did not impact Korean instructors' perceptions. Even though academic major, student classification, prior experience of online learning, and self-reported knowledge about computers did not affect American students' perceptions, gender, learning style, learning mode, self-reported knowledge about online learning environment, self-reported knowledge about computers did not influence perceptions of Korean students. When a demographic variable influenced participant perceptions, it influenced few numbers of statements (one or two). Therefore, it is a valid argument that any differences in perceptions of online teaching/learning environment among the four samples would be due to their status as instructors versus students and due to the difference in the nationality (USA versus South Korean). Thus, it seemed that the national cultural diversity was the primary reason for the differences among the participants in the degree of agreement or disagreement with the statements considered in this study. However, other factors (e.g., individual differences) might have contributed to such disparity.

Instructors and students in both countries may admit the weaknesses for the online teaching/learning environment; yet, once they experienced such environment, they tended to increase their knowledge of the online environment and, in turn, understand the merits of online teaching/learning. For example, the findings of this study revealed that instructors and students who taught/took online courses were more likely to develop stronger perceptions about the online format. For example, those instructors and students who taught/took online courses had stronger disagreements with statements such as "The online class environment is more effective," and "Online setting is the most appropriate method of teaching in today's environment."

Educational institutions may want to critically assess the feedback from instructors and students that were reported in this study in order to efficiently utilize the emerging online teaching/learning environment. It is important to recognize individual differences among instructors and students and plan accordingly. In order to recognize differences in teaching/learning styles and disciplines, institutions must provide training on various features that promote interaction between students and instructors so that instructors can utilize their teaching styles, accommodate student learning styles, and overcome shortcomings of the online environment. Since the online teaching/learning environment was introduced as a component of the educational system and was not meant to replace the traditional face-to-face environment, policy makers in the educational institutions may want to redefine the number physical hours that instructors and students meet and use the hybrid mode. Since there was a moderate culture effect on instructors and student perceptions, educational institutions should utilize the online environment to promote "virtual" exchange programs with proper training.

Limitations and Future Research

Although this study had several insights for policy makers in the higher education institutions, instructors, and students, it is not without limitations that need to be acknowledged. For example, the use of small sample sizes and the use of self-reported information were primary limitations. The findings of this study provide some opportunities for future research. Exploring other factors that may influence instructor and student perceptions of the online teaching/learning environment may assist in devising mechanisms to facilitate and promote the online environment. Also, this study could be repeated in the future to see whether the perceptions about online teaching/learning have changed.

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Obyung Kwun, Emporia State University

Khaled A. Alshare, Emporia State University

Elizabeth Grandon, Emporia State University

Table 1: Frequency Distributions of Key Variables by Country for
Instructors Samples

 USA (n1=92)

Variable No. of Responses (%)

Gender:
 Male 51 55.6
 Female 41 44.4

Discipline:
Business 18 19.6
Hard sciences 22 23.9
Social Sciences 52 56.5

Rank:
Instructor 16 17.4
Assistant 29 31.5
Associate 30 32.6
Professor 17 18.5

Teaching style:
Formal Authority 13 14.1
Demonstrator 9 9.8
Facilitator 62 67.4
Delegator 8 8.7

Taught online courses:
Yes 40 43.47
No 52 56.53

Preferred teaching mode:
Face-to-Face 45 48.9
Online 7 7.6
Hybrid 40 43.5

Computer knowledge:
Good to Excellent 81 88.00
Poor to Fair 11 12.0

Have a website for class (a):
Yes 27 51.92
No 25 48.08

Reasons not having website (b):
Time 8 32.00
Lack of Support 1 4.00
Lack of Knowledge 8 32.00
Lack of Incentives 4 16.00
Other 4 16.00

Online environment knowledge:
Good to Excellent 57 61.96
Poor to Fair 35 38.04

 Korea (n2=41)

Variable No. of Responses (%)

Gender:
 Male 34 82.9
 Female 7 17.1

Discipline:
Business 23 56.1
Hard sciences 8 19.5
Social Sciences 10 24.4

Rank:
Instructor 9 22
Assistant 15 36.6
Associate 6 14.6
Professor 11 26.8

Teaching style:
Formal Authority 15 36.6
Demonstrator 10 24.4
Facilitator 12 29.3
Delegator 4 9.7

Taught online courses:
Yes 6 14.6
No 35 85.4

Preferred teaching mode:
Face-to-Face 14 34.1
Online 2 4.9
Hybrid 25 61.0

Computer knowledge:
Good to Excellent 24 58.54
Poor to Fair 17 41.46

Have a website for class (a):
Yes 17 48.57
No 18 51.43

Reasons not having website (b):
Time 1 5.55
Lack of Support 6 33.33
Lack of Knowledge 3 16.67
Lack of Incentives 4 22.22
Other 4 22.22

Online environment knowledge:
Good to Excellent 20 48.78
Poor to Fair 21 51.22

(a.) These percentage values were based on the total number of
instructors who did not teach online courses (52 in the USA case
and 35 in the Korean case).

(b) These percentage values were based on the total number of
instructors who did not have a website (25 in the USA case and
18 in the Korean case).

Table 2: Frequency Distributions of Key Variables by Country for
Students Samples

 USA (n1=144)

Variable No. of Responses (%)

Gender:
Male 89 61.8
Female 55 38.2

Age Avg. 21.18

Academic major:
Business 126 87.3
Hard sciences 3 2.2
Social Sciences 15 10.5

Classification:
Freshman 45 31.3
Sophomore 34 23.6
Junior 45 31.3
Senior 20 13.9

Learning style:
Visual/verbal 69 47.92
Visual/nonverbal 15 10.41
Tactil/kinesthetic 51 35.42
Auditory/verbal 9 6.25

Access to Internet from:
Home 107 74.3
School 144 100.0
Work 38 26.4
Friend 66 45.8
Computer Shops 6 4.2

Completed online course:
Yes 40 27.8
No 104 72.2

Number of online courses completed:
1 28 70.0
2 10 25.0
3 or more 2 5.0

Preferred learning method:
Face-to-face 103 71.5
Online 5 3.5
Hybrid 36 25.0

Computer knowledge:
Good to Excellent 116 80.56
Poor to Fair 28 19.44

Average No. hours using computers/day 3.20

Online environment knowledge:
Good to Excellent 127 88.2
Poor to Fair 17 11.8

Average of No. hours using Internet/day 2.37

 Korea (n2=226)

Variable No. of Responses (%)

Gender:
Male 50 22.1
Female 176 77.9

Age Avg. 21.73

Academic major:
Business 18 8.0
Hard sciences 55 24.3
Social Sciences 153 67.7

Classification:
Freshman 71 31.4
Sophomore 72 31.9
Junior 64 28.3
Senior 19 8.4

Learning style:
Visual/verbal 11 4.90
Visual/nonverbal 48 21.21
Tactil/kinesthetic 136 60.17
Auditory/verbal 31 13.72

Access to Internet from:
Home 178 78.8
School 226 100.0
Work 7 3.1
Friend 13 5.7
Computer Shops 52 23.0

Completed online course:
Yes 136 60.2
No 90 39.8

Number of online courses completed:
1 24 17.6
2 8 5.9
3 or more 104 76.5

Preferred learning method:
Face-to-face 75 33.2
Online 27 11.9
Hybrid 124 54.9

Computer knowledge:
Good to Excellent 69 30.53
Poor to Fair 157 69.47

Average No. hours using computers/day 2.74

Online environment knowledge:
Good to Excellent 84 37.2
Poor to Fair 142 62.8

Average of No. hours using Internet/day 2.69

Table 3a: T-test Results for American and Korean Instructor Responses

 American Instructors Korean Instructors
Statement (n1=92) (n2=41)

 Std. Std.
 Mean Deviation Mean Deviation

1. The online class 2.19 .982 2.68 .648
environment is more
effective

2. An online class would 3.87 1.008 3.83 .758
require more of my effort
than a face-to-face class

3. Whatever I deliver in 2.19 1.150 2.56 .781
a face-to-face class, I
would deliver it in an
online class

4. I am aware that I may 4.37 .722 4.09 .684
lose some of the
advantages of
face-to-face classes if
I teach an online class

5. Online setting is the 1.95 .835 2.49 .754
most appropriate method
of teaching in today's
environment

6. For students who are 3.24 .964 3.35 .863
taking a class online, it
would be more difficult
than taking the class in
a traditional
face-to-face environment

7. It would be easy to 3.58 1.012 3.94 0.497
cheat and plagiarize in
an online course

Statement t-test

 Sig.
 T (2-tailed)

1. The online class -3.376 0.001
environment is more
effective

2. An online class would 0.259 0.796
require more of my effort
than a face-to-face class

3. Whatever I deliver in -2.151 0.034
a face-to-face class, I
would deliver it in an
online class

4. I am aware that I may 2.152 0.034
lose some of the
advantages of
face-to-face classes if
I teach an online class

5. Online setting is the -3.685 0.000
most appropriate method
of teaching in today's
environment

6. For students who are -0.643 0.522
taking a class online, it
would be more difficult
than taking the class in
a traditional
face-to-face environment

7. It would be easy to -2.742 0.007
cheat and plagiarize in
an online course

Table 3b: T-test Results for American and Korean Student Responses

 American Students Korean Students
 (n1=144) (n2-226)

 Std. Std.
 Mean Deviation Mean Deviation

1. The online class 2.20 0.905 2.75 0.787
environment is more
effective

2. An online class would 3.15 1.124 3.19 0.842
require more of my effort
than a face-to-face class

3. Whatever I learn in a 2.44 1.009 2.65 0.893
face-to-face class, I
would learn it in an
online class

4. I am aware that I may 3.94 0.914 3.44 0.808
lose some of the
advantages of
face-to-face classes if
I take an online class

5. Online setting is the 2.56 1.089 2.66 0.754
most appropriate method
of learning in today's
environment

6. For students who are 3.30 1.018 2.96 0.8
taking a class online, it
would be more difficult
than taking the class in
a traditional
face-to-face environment

7. It would be easy to 3.08 1.119 3.56 2.770
cheat and plagiarize in
an online course

 t-test

 Sig.
 T (2-tailed)

1. The online class 5.967 0.000
environment is more
effective

2. An online class would 0.318 0.751
require more of my effort
than a face-to-face class

3. Whatever I learn in a 1.951 0.050
face-to-face class, I
would learn it in an
online class

4. I am aware that I may -5.355 0.000
lose some of the
advantages of
face-to-face classes if
I take an online class

5. Online setting is the 1.026 0.306
most appropriate method
of learning in today's
environment

6. For students who are -3.379 0.001
taking a class online, it
would be more difficult
than taking the class in
a traditional
face-to-face environment

7. It would be easy to 2.227 0.023
cheat and plagiarize in
an online course

Table 4a: T-test Results for American Instructor and Student Responses

 Instructors (n1=92) Students (n2=144)

 Std. Std.
Statement Mean Deviation Mean Deviation

1. The online class 2.19 .982 2.20 0.905
environment is more
effective

2. An online class would 3.87 1.008 3.15 1.124
require more of my effort
than a face-to-face class

3. Whatever I 2.19 1.150 2.44 1.009
deliver/learn in a
face-to-face class, I
would deliver/learn it
in an online class

4. I am aware that I may 4.37 .722 3.94 0.914
lose some of the
advantages of
face-to-face classes if
I teach/take an online
class

5. Online setting is the 1.95 .835 2.56 1.089
most appropriate method
of teaching/learning in
today's environment

6. For students who are 3.24 .964 3.30 1.018
taking a class online, it
would be more difficult
than taking the class in
a traditional
face-to-face environment

7. It would be easy to 3.58 1.012 3.08 1.119
cheat and plagiarize
in an online course

 t-test

 Sig.
Statement T (2-tailed)

1. The online class 0.098 0.922
environment is more
effective

2. An online class would -5.092 0.000
require more of my effort
than a face-to-face class

3. Whatever I 1.732 0.085
deliver/learn in a
face-to-face class, I
would deliver/learn it
in an online class

4. I am aware that I may -3.969 0.000
lose some of the
advantages of
face-to-face classes if
I teach/take an online
class

5. Online setting is the 4.843 0.000
most appropriate method
of teaching/learning in
today's environment

6. For students who are 0.409 0.683
taking a class online, it
would be more difficult
than taking the class in
a traditional
face-to-face environment

7. It would be easy to -3.534 0.001
cheat and plagiarize
in an online course

Table 4b: T-test Results for Korean Instructors and Students' Responses

 Instructors (n1=41) Students (n2=226)

 Std. Std.
Statement Mean Deviation Mean Deviation

1. The online class 2.68 .648 2.75 .787
environment is more
effective

2. An online class would 3.83 .758 3.19 .842
require more of my effort
than a face-to-face class

3. Whatever I 2.56 .781 2.65 .893
deliver/learn in a
face-to-face class, I
would deliver/learn it
in an online class

4. I am aware that I may 4.09 .684 3.44 .808
lose some of the
advantages of
face-to-face classes if
I teach/take an online
class

5. Online setting is the 2.49 .754 2.66 .754
most appropriate method
of teaching/learning in
today's environment

6. For students who are 3.35 .863 2.96 .800
taking a class online, it
would be more difficult
than taking the class in
a traditional
face-to-face environment

7. It would be easy to 3.94 .497 3.56 2.770
cheat and plagiarize
in an online course

 t-test

 Sig.
Statement T (2-tailed)

1. The online class 0.162 0.872
environment is more
effective

2. An online class would -3.740 0.000
require more of my effort
than a face-to-face class

3. Whatever I 0.147 0.883
deliver/learn in a
face-to-face class, I
would deliver/learn it
in an online class

4. I am aware that I may -3.507 0.001
lose some of the
advantages of
face-to-face classes if
I teach/take an online
class

5. Online setting is the 0.770 0.444
most appropriate method
of teaching/learning in
today's environment

6. For students who are -2.276 0.027
taking a class online, it
would be more difficult
than taking the class in
a traditional
face-to-face environment

7. It would be easy to -1.197 0.232
cheat and plagiarize
in an online course

Table 5a: A Summary of ANOVA Results for American and Korean
Instructors (a)

 1. Gender 2. Discipline

Statement USA Korea USA Korea

1. The online class NS NS NS NS
environment is
more effective

2. An online class NS NS NS NS
would require more
of my effort than a
face-to-face class

3. Whatever I NS NS NS NS
deliver in a
face-to-face class,
I would deliver it in
an online class

4. I am aware that I 0.007 (b) NS NS NS
may lose some of
the advantages of
face-to-face classes
if I teach an online
class

5. Online setting is NS NS NS NS
the most
appropriate method
of teaching in
today's
environment

6. For students NS NS NS NS
who are taking a
class online, it
would be more
difficult than
taking the class in a
traditional
face-to-face
environment

7. It would be easy NS NS NS NS
to cheat and
plagiarize in an
online course

 3. Rank 4. Teaching Style

Statement USA Korea USA Korea

1. The online class NS NS NS NS
environment is
more effective

2. An online class NS NS NS NS
would require more
of my effort than a
face-to-face class

3. Whatever I NS NS NS NS
deliver in a
face-to-face class,
I would deliver it in
an online class

4. I am aware that I NS NS 0.019 (b) NS
may lose some of
the advantages of
face-to-face classes
if I teach an online
class

5. Online setting is NS NS 0.002 (b) NS
the most
appropriate method
of teaching in
today's
environment

6. For students NS NS NS NS
who are taking a
class online, it
would be more
difficult than
taking the class in a
traditional
face-to-face
environment

7. It would be easy NS NS NS NS
to cheat and
plagiarize in an
online course

 5. Prior Experience
 of Online Teaching 6. Teaching Mode

Statement USA Korea USA Korea

1. The online class 0.001 (b) NS 0.000 (b) 0.026 (b)
environment is
more effective

2. An online class NS NS NS NS
would require more
of my effort than a
face-to-face class

3. Whatever I NS NS 0.030 (b) NS
deliver in a
face-to-face class,
I would deliver it in
an online class

4. I am aware that I 0.037 (b) NS 0036 (b) NS
may lose some of
the advantages of
face-to-face classes
if I teach an online
class

5. Online setting is 0.002 (b) NS 0.00 (b) NS
the most
appropriate method
of teaching in
today's
environment

6. For students NS NS NS NS
who are taking a
class online, it
would be more
difficult than
taking the class in a
traditional
face-to-face
environment

7. It would be easy NS NS NS NS
to cheat and
plagiarize in an
online course

 7. Knowledge of 8. Knowledge of
 Online Environment Computers

Statement USA Korea USA Korea

1. The online class 0.021 (b) NS 0.002 (b) NS
environment is
more effective

2. An online class NS NS NS NS
would require more
of my effort than a
face-to-face class

3. Whatever I NS NS NS NS
deliver in a
face-to-face class,
I would deliver it in
an online class

4. I am aware that I NS NS NS NS
may lose some of
the advantages of
face-to-face classes
if I teach an online
class

5. Online setting is NS NS NS NS
the most
appropriate method
of teaching in
today's
environment

6. For students NS NS NS NS
who are taking a
class online, it
would be more
difficult than
taking the class in a
traditional
face-to-face
environment

7. It would be easy NS NS NS 0.05 (b)
to cheat and
plagiarize in an
online course

(a.) NS: Not Significant (0.05 significance level was used
as a cutting point).

(b.) P-value according to ANOVA procedure.

Table 5b: A summary of ANOVA Results for American and
Korean Students (a)

 1. Gender 2. Academic Major

Statement USA Korea USA Korea

1. The online class NS NS NS NS
environment is
more effective

2. An online class NS NS NS NS
would require more
of my effort than a
face-to-face class

3. Whatever I learn NS NS NS 0.046 (b)
in a face-to-face
class, I would learn
it in an online class

4. I am aware that I 0.014 (b) NS NS NS
may lose some of
the advantages of
face-to-face classes
if I take an online
class

5. Online setting is NS NS NS NS
the most
appropriate method
of learning in
today's
environment

6. For students NS NS NS NS
who are taking a
class online, it
would be more
difficult than
taking the class in a
traditional
face-to-face
environment

7. It would be easy 0.007 (b) NS NS NS
to cheat and
plagiarize in an
online course

 3. Classification 4. Learning Style

Statement USA Korea USA Korea

1. The online class NS NS 0.018 (b) NS
environment is
more effective

2. An online class NS NS 0.003 (b) NS
would require more
of my effort than a
face-to-face class

3. Whatever I learn NS NS NS NS
in a face-to-face
class, I would learn
it in an online class

4. I am aware that I NS NS NS NS
may lose some of
the advantages of
face-to-face classes
if I take an online
class

5. Online setting is NS 0.033 (b) NS NS
the most
appropriate method
of learning in
today's
environment

6. For students NS 0.019 (b) NS NS
who are taking a
class online, it
would be more
difficult than
taking the class in a
traditional
face-to-face
environment

7. It would be easy NS NS NS NS
to cheat and
plagiarize in an
online course

 5. Prior Experience
 of Online Learning 6. Learning Mode

Statement USA Korea USA Korea

1. The online class NS 0.048 (b) 0.005 (b) NS
environment is
more effective

2. An online class NS NS NS NS
would require more
of my effort than a
face-to-face class

3. Whatever I learn NS NS 0.010 (b) NS
in a face-to-face
class, I would learn
it in an online class

4. I am aware that I NS 0.023 (b) NS 0.072
may lose some of
the advantages of
face-to-face classes
if I take an online
class

5. Online setting is NS NS 0.013 (b) NS
the most
appropriate method
of learning in
today's
environment

6. For students NS NS 0.045 (b) NS
who are taking a
class online, it
would be more
difficult than
taking the class in a
traditional
face-to-face
environment

7. It would be easy NS NS NS NS
to cheat and
plagiarize in an
online course

 7. Knowledge of 8. Knowledge of
 Online Environment Computers

Statement USA Korea USA Korea

1. The online class NS NS NS NS
environment is
more effective

2. An online class NS NS NS NS
would require more
of my effort than a
face-to-face class

3. Whatever I learn 0.016 (b) NS NS NS
in a face-to-face
class, I would learn
it in an online class

4. I am aware that I NS NS NS NS
may lose some of
the advantages of
face-to-face classes
if I take an online
class

5. Online setting is NS NS NS NS
the most
appropriate method
of learning in
today's
environment

6. For students NS NS NS NS
who are taking a
class online, it
would be more
difficult than
taking the class in a
traditional
face-to-face
environment

7. It would be easy 0.002 (b) NS NS NS
to cheat and
plagiarize in an
online course

(a.) NS: Not Significant (0.05 significance level was used as
a cutting point).

(b.) P-value according to ANOVA procedure.

Table 6: A Summary of Instructor-Student Feedback on the Online
Teaching/Learning Environment

 Instructor Samples

American Korean

 Reasons for Teaching Online Classes

Career development Career development
Administration pressure Monetary Incentives
Monetary Incentives Attracting more students
It is Mandatory Enjoying teaching online
Attracting more students
Enjoying teaching online

 Reasons for Not Teaching Online Classes

Lack of time Lack of support
Lack of knowledge Lack of knowledge
Lack of compatibility with Lack of monetary incentives
 discipline
Lack of demand for online classes Lack of time
Lack of incentives Lack of compatibility with
 discipline
Lack of support Lack of demand for online classes

 Major Concerns of Online Classes

Lack of face-to-face interaction Lack of face-to-face interaction
Assessment issues (integrity, Assessment issues (integrity,
 reliability, cheating) reliability, cheating)
Difficulty of integrating field Difficulty of integrating field
 trips and lab experiments trips and lab experiments
Technology issues Technology issues

 Student Samples

American Korean

 Reasons for Taking Online Classes

Flexibility with class schedule Reducing commuting time
Better for work schedule Flexibility with class schedule

 Reasons for Not Taking Online Classes

No need No need

 Major Concerns of Online Classes

Lack of face-to-face interaction Lack of face-to-face interaction
Technology issues Technology issues
Lack of clear expectations Challenge of self-discipline
 Quality of instruction