Is online reading as effective and meaningful as offline reading?

Abstract

This paper aims to examine whether an online reading class is as effective and meaningful as an offline one. Participants were 46 first-year students taking an English for Psychology subject. Quantitative data collection and analyses were employed. The quantitative data were derived from the analysis of their pre-test and post-test results, as well as open-ended questionnaires. Online reading class provides students with extensive opportunities and a distraction from learning. It also requires computer access, an internet connection, and good electronic literacy. Offline reading class, in comparison, requires students to focus merely on the ongoing classroom activity and offer direct face-to-face interaction with peers and the teacher. The results of the pre-test and post-test indicate an increase score of 1.3 % for students joining the online reading class and 18.7 % for students joining the offline reading class. It means that both offline and online reading classes offer similar opportunities to succeed