Distance education and distance assessment have become the focus of many institutions of higher learning, and there is a need to know how these tools compare with those used in the traditional classroom setting. This study was designed to compare online and traditional students utilizing a mixture of quantitative and qualitative strategies in a quasi experimental model. This research was conducted at Old Dominion University using a sample of online and traditional students enrolled in an

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... ction to Education course (ECI 300). Both versions of this course utilize an online quizzing protocol known as Telequiz. Quiz scores, final exam scores and final course scores were collected for each student and a Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted to compare the academic achievement of traditional and online students. The results indicate that traditional students outperform their online counterparts academically. The results of this analysis indicate that there is no difference between students who participate in an optional initial quiz and those students who do not. Qualitative analysis was performed on mid term and end of term student open ended evaluations to study perceptions of Telequiz and the course and to explore differences in perceptions on these two topics based on course delivery methodology. The results indicate that the students in both courses appreciate the content that they are learning, but have difficulty with the technology involved with the course. With a greater emphasis placed on the use of distance education and assessment tools, this research serves the purpose of attempting to judge the efficacy of these tools.