A Course on Multimedia QoS Networking: Transition to Hybrid Offering and Comparative Evaluation

A companion paper describes the development and evaluation of the on-campus format of a novel Multimedia QoS Networking course that introduces students to the basic principles and current developments in this emerging field through a combination of lecture, topic exploration, and paper critiquing and discussion. This paper presents: (i) the transformation of the course from the on-campus-only format to a hybrid on-campus/distance learning format, and (ii) the comparative evaluation of the two formats and different forms of the paper critique discussions in the hybrid format. While the lecture (40% of class time) and topic exploration (30% of class time) components could be transformed with standard approaches to the hybrid on-campus/distance education with streaming class video format, the transformation of the highly interactive paper critique discussions (30% of class time), which are crucial for developing a deep understanding of the course content, proved challenging. Three different forms of the paper critique discussion were tested and evaluated: 1) in-class discussion (with distance students visiting the campus or viewing the video of the recorded discussion), 2) asynchronous Web-based discussion board, and 3) synchronous Web-based live chat. The two course formats as well as the different forms of the paper critique discussion in the hybrid course format were evaluated through extensive student surveys and interviews. The results indicate that student attitudes were approximately equally positive toward both course formats. There was a tendency for the asynchronous discussions to be perceived more positively in terms of learning effectiveness and effectiveness of interaction with the peers than the live chat discussion, while the live chat was preferred in terms of interaction with the instructor. These results and the reported student feedback to the open-ended survey questions and the interviews provide valuable guidance for designing interactive seminar-s- - tyle courses on emerging topics in a hybrid format.