The details make a difference when delivering technology courses via web-based distant education

The delivery of online courses on the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS) campus has been taking place for ten plus years, in which few studies have been conducted. This paper details ongoing research of three professors from UAFS. According to the information reviewed, online teaching is just as effective as traditional classroom teaching. With smartly designed courses and appropriate online teaching andragogies, online university courses can be more effective than classroom instruction. Our research even suggest that some types of technology course content might be particularly more effective if offered only online. This paper will outline four main details involved in making a successful online course: (1) students must have writing skills, be self-motivated, and self-disciplined, (2) faculty member needs to have training, use appropriate andragogies, and have a simple course design, (3) when instructor involvement increases, courses yield more positive outcomes, and (4) online courses which include face-to-face, telecommunication components or blended classes with occasional face-to-face meetings are more effective than full online courses.