Learning Orientations in University Web-Based Courses

This paper examines the research question of whether the distribution of learning orientations among university students enrolling in web-based courses differs from those in the general student population. Using the Learning Orientation Questionnaire (LOQ) [7] statistically significant differences in learning orientations were found between science students in a web-based course and those in a more traditional classroom setting. The implications of this finding on sample bias in educational research studies of web-based courses and on the instructional design of university web-based courses are discussed.