Comparing Student Achievement in Virtual Learning and Traditional Systems in Secondary Schools of Shiraz

AbstractIntroduction: Currently, distance education has been accepted as a necessary part of the mainstream educational system throughout the globe. We aimed to compare the distance learning system with the traditional educational system with respect to the students’ academic achievement in secondary schools of Shiraz, southern Iran.Material & Methods: Using random cluster sampling, we included all third grade students studying in schools of educational district two in Shiraz during the academic year 2010-2011. The students’ grade point averages of the fifth primary grade and third secondary grade serve as pre- and post-tests, respectively. The differences between pre-test and post-test scores were calculated. The mean scores were compared using the t test.Results: Compared with the traditional education system, distance education was more effective for both boys and girls. However, the difference was not significant.Conclusion: Distance education is a modern educational method which can create new learning opportunities and replace the traditional educational system.