I feel that this research study will be valuable to the field of learning technologies because it will be the only one that compares student preferences given a choice of learning method. Instead of comparing one virtual method selected by the instructor (author) to the traditional face-to-face instructional method or one virtual method to another, I am proposing presenting the students with four or five of the most common virtual instructional methods and allowing them to select which method works best for them and why. This way, current and future educators will be able to have a better understanding of how to design their virtual math classes to maximize the students’ virtual learning experience.

I believe this research study can be completed in one semester, or two if needed. The study will focus on only one section of one chapter, i.e., the concept of the slope or the difference quotient. It will be presented in multiple ways, i.e., in-class face-to-face instruction, synchronously via live streaming lecture, asynchronously, voice-over PowerPoint slides, asynchronously, and a couple of other widely used online presentation formats. The students will be introduced to the different methods during a live session for practice, and they will be allowed to select the method that they prefer most when it comes to the topic of discussion.

The proposed timeline is (a) one month to produce the online material for a future College Algebra course (Math 1314) or College Calculus course (Math 2413), (b) two weeks to produce the instructor training and reference materials, (c) one week to test the proposed methods that the students will select from, (d) one month into the following semester to complete the proposed research project, (e) one month to send out the questionnaire and perform individual and group interviews, (f) three months to collect and analyze the interview data, and (g) four months to complete the reporting of the results.