There has been ongoing discussion about whether online and hybrid instruction is equally as effective as face-to-face instruction. To explore this question, we designed a comparative study to evaluate student academic performance and satisfaction in three sections (face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online) of an introductory oceanography course. This course enrolls 100-300 students with a target audience of non-STEM majors. All three sections cover the same course content with identical weekly assignments and assessments. Preliminary results suggest that there is little difference in assignment and assessment scores, final course grades, and the students' course evaluations among the three sections. This indicates that no one mode of instruction appears to be more effective than the other in terms of student achievement or student perception of the course's effectiveness. Ultimately, the best modality for student learning is one that fits the individual needs and preferences of the student, which instructors can identify and advertise in the course description and catalog.