A Comparative Analysis of Learning Outcomes in Online and In-Person Courses for College Students in East Java

Abstract

This study aims to compare students’ experiences and perceptions of learning outcomes in online and offline courses based on survey data from 150 respondents. The analysis includes five paired metrics—duration of focus, percentage of material understood, number of notes taken, effectiveness rating, and assignment volume rating—as well as five categorical preference questions. The Shapiro–Wilk test was applied to the differences between offline and online scores to assess normality. Since all metrics yielded p-values below 0.05, differences in numerical metrics were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Categorical preferences were analyzed using the exact binomial test against a reference proportion of 50%, while the p-values for all ten tests were corrected using the Holm–Bonferroni method. K-Means clustering was applied to the five standardized offline–online difference features. The results show that the offline group had significantly higher medians for focus duration, comprehension percentage, number of notes, and effectiveness ratings, while task volume ratings did not differ significantly after Holm’s correction. Preference for the offline method was also dominant in terms of preferred method, most effective method, ease of discussion, and impact on health; preferences regarding scheduling did not show significant dominance. Segmentation yielded two clusters consisting of 81 and 69 respondents, respectively. These results illustrate patterns within the survey sample and do not, by themselves, represent all students in East Java.