Comparative Analysis of Learning Outcomes for On-Campus and Distance Learning Courses in a Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counselor Education Program

Background: Despite the increasing reliance in counselor education on online teaching and learning, the efficacy is not well documented. Objective: To investigate learning outcomes for master's-level rehabilitation and mental health counseling students. Methods: This study compared on-campus and online learning course delivery methods with pre-and post-tests using 41 participants across four courses. Findings: Significant differences were found within both groups between the pre- and post-test, indicating significant gains in knowledge acquisition. No significant differences were found between group modalities in the magnitude of improvement in test scores. Conclusions: Findings suggest that no differences exist in these learning outcomes when online and on-campus teaching modalities are compared and that both modalities produce positive learning outcomes. Continued research is needed to address additional questions in this area.