The comparison of learning effectiveness between traditional face-to-face learning and e-learning among goal-oriented users

Technologies are fast advancing around the globe, and new knowledge is being generated at all time. E-learning is to integrate technologies and new knowledge to allow learners to learn new knowledge at anytime and anywhere without constraints of time and space. With the increasing prevalence of e-learning, many cram school operators have released their own instructions based on e-learning methods, including CD or cassette-based distance learning, single-learner online learning, and multi-learner multimedia-assisted instructions. Their primary purposes are to promote e-learning among students. To investigate the above-mentioned phenomenon and understand the effectiveness of e-learning, this study selected goal-oriented samples from those who were facing competitive entrance exam of graduate schools in Taiwan and aimed at comparing the instructional differences between face-to-face learning and clearning methods. Moreover, effectiveness and satisfactin of learning, instructors, and environments were compared between these two modules. A questionnaire was designed and survey was conducted among 219 respondents. This study expected to provide some findings that help identify the strengths of e-learning, so that facilitate examinees to successfully employ this method to pass the exam. For cram school operators, this study expected to help them identify the optimal instructional models that could maximize examinees´ satisfaction and learning effectiveness and thus enhance their market performance. The finding suggested e-learning in all offers a higher level of learning effectiveness than traditional face-to-face learning. Moreover, students who used e-learning method were more satisfied on learning materials and learning environment compared to those used traditional face-to-face learning method. Nevertheless, instructors/teachers satisfaction between these two modules didn´t show significantly difference. This result somewhat differed with existing studies might due t- - o high requests of real-time feedback of instructors among these goaloriented respondents. The needs of quick feedbacks among these examinees were much higher than in-school students that previous studies were usually conducted. For cram school to promote elearning method for specific goal-oriented users, more efforts should be made on enhancing efficent feedback and active interaction between instructors/teachers and users.