Students’ Perceptions of Academic Motivation, Interactive Participation, and Selected Pedagogical and Structural Factors in Web-Based Distance Learning

The faculty in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida (USF) have offered web-based distance courses for four years. In that time period credit hour productivity from web-based courses has grown to almost 30% of the school's total productivity. Faculty questions about the comparability of distance and face-to-face coursework prompted a survey of students in seven web-based classes. Participants reported that web-based, distance learning was a satisfying experience, perceived as equivalent or, in many regards, superior to comparable face-to-face classroom experiences. Results of the survey affirm the role and value of distance courses in students' master's degree programs.