A Comparison of Traditional and Hybrid Online Instructional Presentation in Communication Technology

Online education has become a central element of the discourse on higher education (Cox, 2005). There seems to be an overall drive toward online learning given the mounting need for flexibility in scheduling and the daily emergence of communication technologies and capabilities (Hillstock, 2005). Online education is presented as a means of conveying instruction to an extensive learning community any place at any time. Cox (2005) indicates that advocates designate online learning as the driving force and model for transformation in teaching, learning, and formal schooling. Online courses have the potential to provide learners with individualized attention by the instructor, otherwise impossible in a large classroom environment (Environmental Education and Training Partnership, 2006).