Date

8-24-2023

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Laura Mansfield

Keywords

communication sciences and disorders, online education, graduate programs, face-to-face education, student outcomes, higher education

Disciplines

Educational Leadership | Rehabilitation and Therapy

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative and predictive correlational study was to investigate how online CSD graduate students compare to their face-to-face peers based on three measurable student outcomes with an additional investigation of how their age impacts these outcomes. This study is important because the number of online graduate programs in CSD is growing despite a lack of evidence in the research that online programs in this field have similar student outcomes as their face-to-face counterparts. This ex post facto study investigated outcomes from 188 students who graduated from or were previously enrolled in a CSD graduate program from one university that offered both an online program and a face-to-face program. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA and logistic regression. The results of the study found that there was not a statistically significant difference between online CSD graduate students and face-to-face students on three measurable outcomes: passing the Praxis II certification exam in Speech-Language Pathology, scores on the Praxis II certification examination in Speech-Language Pathology, and degree completion rates in program-defined timelines. The results of this study suggest that both online and face-to-face students have an equal opportunity to be successful in a CSD graduate program no matter their age category. Future research would be beneficial to investigate these outcomes across a larger population and additional outcomes (e.g., student perceptions, clinical supervisors, and using both qualitative and quantitative measures).

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