Abstract
The purpose of this work is to observe communication patterns between students in a face to face and online undergraduate level class. This study will specifically focus on the gender communication patterns of students. The researcher will compare the communication patterns to identify gaps between a traditional and online class. Additionally, the observation will focus on examining the communication patterns and gender discourse. This study focuses on the following questions: In what ways does a classroom environment (face to face verse online) impact the caliber of student participation? Is there a difference in the gender of the participants when comparing a face to face course to an online course? Students from a State University were observed in a face to face and online class of the same course. The participants in the study consisted of 176 students at a State University. The face to face class consisted of 51 students; 27 males and 24 females. The online class consisted of 119 students; 52 males and 67 females. Observational methods were used by utilizing a rubric during the observations. The rubric was designed for each type of class seeking to identify specific themes. The date collected from the rubric allowed for the researcher to conduct thematic analysis and make conclusions when comparing the observations from the two different classroom dynamics. The qualitative nature of this study allowed for specific conclusions to be drawn from observations of a face to face class and online class in relation to gender. The current research for how men and women communicate in the classroom aligns with what was observed in the face to face class. Males are more likely to draw attention to the class by raising their hand and being called on to participate. Females are not called on as often as male students. Their opinion can be dismissed by being interrupted and feeling as if they do not matter. Online class allowed for female students to become more comfortable with voicing their opinions through online discussion posts. Female students are more likely to utilize self disclosure and are more open to participation and providing feedback. This researcher came away with the impression that the classroom environment can impact a student’s likelihood to feel connected.