Background and Rationale

The rapid expansion of online higher education in East Africa has prompted institutional questions about whether delivery mode affects student achievement. At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), the Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) programme operates across both online and face-to-face modalities, yet systematic evidence comparing performance outcomes remains limited. Institutional concerns about online learning rigour persist in the absence of empirical data, risking policy decisions based on assumption rather than evidence. This scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) project addresses that gap.

Research Questions

This study is guided by three questions: (1) What performance differences, if any, exist between online and face-to-face learners across theoretical and practical course components of the BBM programme? (2) What factors do educators identify as contributing to any observed differences? (3) What factors do students identify as contributing to any observed differences?

Theoretical Framework

The study draws on two complementary frameworks. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model (Garrison, Anderson and Archer, 2000) proposes that effective online learning depends on cognitive, social, and teaching presence — elements that may be unevenly realised across delivery modes. Constructive alignment (Biggs, 1996) further suggests that performance differences may reflect misalignment between learning outcomes, teaching activities and assessment tasks rather than delivery mode per se. Together, these frameworks guide both the inquiry design and the interpretation of stakeholder accounts.

Methodology

An explanatory sequential mixed methods design (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2017) is employed. Phase 1 involves quantitative analysis of anonymised examination results for the full 2024 BBM cohort (87 face-to-face; 25 online graduates), using descriptive statistics and effect sizes (Cohen’s d) to identify whether performance gaps exist and whether they differ across theoretical and practical assessment types. Phase 2 follows with semi-structured interviews — approximately 5–6 educators and 6–8 students, purposively sampled to represent both delivery modes and diverse performance levels — to explore stakeholder explanations for observed patterns. Interview data will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006), with integration of quantitative and qualitative findings enabling a richer, contextualised understanding of performance determinants.

Ethical Approach

The study follows BERA (2018) ethical guidelines. Institutional gatekeeper approval has been sought from JOOUST prior to any data collection. Examination data will be anonymised at source and participant identities protected through coding. The research is framed explicitly as programme improvement scholarship rather than evaluation of learner capability, with care taken to avoid deficit assumptions about either cohort. Participant autonomy is central: involvement is voluntary, informed consent is obtained in advance, and participants may withdraw at any time.

Expected Contribution

By combining performance data with educator and student perspectives, this project aims to produce evidence-informed insights into the structural, pedagogical, and contextual factors that shape learning outcomes across modalities in a sub-Saharan African university context. Findings will be shared with JOOUST stakeholders through a summary report and, pending institutional interest, a faculty presentation, supporting evidence-based decisions about programme design and online learning provision.