Comparing instructional delivery methods for teaching computer systems performance analysis

A course on computer systems performance analysis has been adapted for several different distance education delivery options, including an interactive television system, face-to-face presentation at a satellite campus, and delivery over the Internet to independent study students. Of the 122 students who have enrolled in this graduate-level course for a grade over the three-year period analyzed, half have been nontraditional students who never set foot on campus. These remote students have a substantially higher drop-out rate than the traditional on-campus students, and frequently indicate a strong preference for face-to-face instruction in a traditional classroom setting. Nevertheless, due to significant differences in the characteristics of the two student groups, the remote students typically earn higher final course grades than the on-campus students. While there is a strong demand for delivery of this type of advanced course to remote students, more still needs to be done to effectively engage these students in the learning process.