Are Distance Laboratories Effective Tools for Technology Education?

Overview & Synopsis

The ability to perform a laboratory experiment as a nonhands-on observer, such as in a distance education context, has been questioned by some educators who ponder whether distance education lab courses are as effective as those held in a physical laboratory environment. This article examines this issue and compares the performance of distance education students with their on-campus counterparts in a junior laboratory course. Data from six semesters are examined and presented. A regression model is developed to predict the performance of both distance education and on-campus students. Results of the model show that only report grades and location (whether distance education or on-campus) are statistically significant. In addition, statistical analysis of the six semesters of data shows equal performance of the two groups.