Coming to Terms with the Online Instructional Revolution: A Success Story Revealed Through Action Research

Oct 15, 2026

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This paper documents a teacher-led action research project focused on developing and evaluating an online introductory biology course for non-majors. Conducted in a small community college, the study compared online instruction with traditional, seat-based formats. A fully web-centered course was created, then assessed after one semester using a 50-item multiple-choice test on course content. Student scores matched those from the traditional classroom, suggesting the format can guide other educators exploring web-based instruction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Defining online instruction and its growth

Roots in programmed instruction and prior biology research

Theoretical Framework

Action research as a reflective planned process

Coming to Terms with the Online Instructional Revolution: A Success Story Revealed Through Action Research Eddie Lunsford,1 Kimberly Bolton2 1Southwestern Community College, 447 College Drive, Sylva, NC 28779 Email: eddielun@dn[et.net](et.net) 2Walters State Community College, 500 S. Davy Crockett Parkway, Morristown, TN 37813 [Email: Kimberly.Bolton@ws.edu](Email: Kimberly.Bolton@ws.edu) Abstract: This paper presents the course of action and outcome of a teacher-based action research project concerning development and evaluation of an online introductory biology course for non-majors. The research took place in a small community college and compared online and traditional instructional formats. A course was developed in an entirely web-centered format. After a semester of instruction, participants were assessed with a 50 item multiple choice test pertaining to content knowledge gained in the course. When their scores were compared with students taught in a traditional classroom format, the scores were essentially identical. The research format may serve as a model for teachers who wish to explore the issue of web-based instruction in their own practice. Keywords: Online biology instruction, web-based teaching, action research Introduction It is very difficult to clearly define online instruction. Various monikers such as distance learning and web-centered teaching are quickly finding their way into our educational lingo. The terms may have different meanings to different teachers. Of course, the essential premise of learning outside of the traditional seat-based classroom is not new. Correspondence courses have been around for decades. What is relatively new, however, is the use of the internet as a primary delivery mechanism for instruction. As early as 1994, DeLoughry predicted that instruction involving online and distance lessons would likely grow very rapidly. Exponential growth, into the millions of students, continues to occur (Kriger, 2001) . Online science instruction probably has its roots in the programmed instruction movement (Melear, 1989; Deutsch, 1992) that first gained significant prominence during the 1970s. Surprisingly little has been written about teaching biology in a web-centered format. Much of what has been written involves the use of internet or multimedia resources as a valuable supplement to primary, traditional instruction (Seng and Mohamad, 2002; Ardac and Akaygun, 2004; Skinner & Hoback, 2004) . King and Hildrreth (2001) reported that it is, indeed, possible to construct on-line science courses that are compatible to traditional, seat-based science courses. Only a few other writers have explicitly dealt with the issue of teaching biology in an online format in recent professional publications (Collins, 2000; Johnson, 2002) . Even though some instructors have been teaching web-based biology courses for years, the whole issue of on-line biology instruction is certainly a contemporary one. It is our hope that this research report will assist our peers in making quality, informed decisions as they are faced with a revolution in biology instruction. We offer results from one small study on the issue of online biology teaching, as well as details about our methodology that may serve as a model for other classroom teachers. Theoretical Framework Qualitative research methods are highly valued for making sense of the experiences of people and communicating those experiences with a high degree of validity. They differ from traditional, empirically based research methods in that the focus is less on repeatability, large sample sizes and random selection of research subjects (Patton, 1990; Guba, 1995; Denzin and Lincoln, 2000) . These are some of the reasons that classroom teachers very often utilize qualitative research designs in educational settings. They are often forced to make do with what is available to them (small classes, limited means of comparison and lack of randomizati

FAQs

What problem does the action research address?

The project examines the development and evaluation of an online introductory biology course for non-majors, comparing web-based instruction with traditional classroom teaching.

How was student learning measured?

After a semester of instruction, participants took a 50-item multiple-choice test covering content knowledge from the course.

What were the results of comparing online and traditional formats?

When test scores were compared, the results were essentially identical between students taught online and those taught in a traditional classroom format.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Blitz