Comparing Face-to-Face to Online Instruction in Secondary Education: Findings of a Repetitive Factoral Experiment

Despite the existence of numerous studies that focus on the benefits of online delivery systems and tools for learners, there is still limited understanding of the determinants of learners’ performances. Moreover, experiments are only rarely the method of inquiry. This study reports on findings of a repetitive factoral experiment in an ecological setting with 151 secondary school pupils in order to scrutinize antecedents of perceived and observed benefits of two delivery modes: face-to-face versus online instruction. The study integrates an extended version of the DeLone and McLean’s information systems success model, including perceptions of enjoyment. The findings show that pupils’ performance in the e-learning condition is significantly poorer compared to the face-to-face condition. The experiment further indicates the dominant position of perceived enjoyment as a determinant of satisfaction and e-learning preference. By examining system and individual antecedents of learning performance in an experimental design, we contribute to the knowledge of e-learning effectiveness. The study’s limitations and opportunities for further study are also discussed.