Shaping the online experience: How administrators can influence student and instructor perceptions through policy and practice

Abstract To maximize the quality of the online experience and actualize the potential of alternative learning environments at their institutions, administrators must explore the perceived experiences of the members of their online learning communities. The overall purpose of the study was to identify factors that would enhance student and instructor experiences in online environments. The focus of the survey was to obtain information from students about their perceptions of the online and blended courses that they participated in and insights from instructors about online and blended courses that they taught. The data collected in this survey reveal optimal areas where a university administration can partner closely with instructors to enhance the student experience in online learning environments and afford online instructors with adequate support and assistance.

[1]  Kate Marek,et al.  Learning to Teach Online: Creating a Culture of Support for Faculty , 2009 .

[2]  Charles P. Bernacchio,et al.  Universal design for learning. , 2007, Psychiatric rehabilitation journal.

[3]  A. Bandura.  Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control , 1997, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[4]  Charles D. Dziuban,et al.  Strategic initiatives in the online environment: opportunities and challenges , 2007 .

[5]  Brian L. Hawkins,et al.  The Myth about IT Security , 2006 .

[6]  Angie Parker.  Motivation and Incentives for Distance Faculty , 2003 .

[7]  ALLIANCE CHRONOGRAPH.  A quick guide , 2007 .

[8]  A. Lenhart,et al.  The Digital Revolution and Higher Education: College Presidents, Public Differ on Value of Online Learning. , 2011 .

[9]  Starr Roxanne Hiltz,et al.  Faculty Motivators and De-motivators for Teaching Online: Results of Focus Group Interviews at One University , 2007, 2007 40th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'07).

[10]  D. Bolliger,et al.  Faculty satisfaction in the online environment: An institutional study , 2009, Internet High. Educ..

[11]  Shu-Sheng Liaw,et al.  Investigating students' perceived satisfaction, behavioral intention, and effectiveness of e-learning: A case study of the Blackboard system , 2008, Comput. Educ..

[12]  B. Udermann,et al.  Achievement and Satisfaction in an Online Versus a Traditional Health and Wellness Course: 1645 , 2006 .

[13]  Susan P. Choy.  Nontraditional Undergraduates: Findings from the Condition of Education 2002. NCES 2002-012. , 2002 .

[14]  Michael Simonson,et al.  Simonson on the five themes at the foundation of Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education , 2002 .

[15]  Curtis J. Bonk,et al.  The Future of Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: The Survey Says... , 2006 .

[16]  Gary Brown,et al.  Emerging Online Learning Environments and Student Learning: An Analysis of Faculty Perceptions , 2004, J. Educ. Technol. Soc..

[17]  Mimi Wolverton,et al.  Integrating Learning Communities and Distance Education: Possibility or Pipedream? , 2006 .

[18]  B. McCombs,et al.  A Learner-Centered Framework for E-Learning , 2005, Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education.

[19]  David J. Pucel,et al.  Effectiveness of and Student Satisfaction with Web-Based Compared to Traditional In-Service Teacher Education Courses , 2005 .

[20]  Dianne Conrad,et al.  Engagement, Excitement, Anxiety, and Fear: Learners' Experiences of Starting an Online Course , 2002 .

[21]  Gwyneth Hughes,et al.  Using blended learning to increase learner support and improve retention , 2007 .

[22]  Michael F. Beaudoin.  Online learning as a strategic asset , 2009 .

[23]  Mike Moore,et al.  Distance Education: A Systems View , 1995 .

[24]  D. Bolliger,et al.  Factors influencing faculty satisfaction with online teaching and learning in higher education , 2009 .

[25]  M. Egan,et al.  Modeling Sociocultural Pedagogy in Distance Education , 2005, Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education.

[26]  T. Mikael Winberg,et al.  Student attitudes toward learning, level of pre-knowledge and instruction type in a computer-simulation: effects on flow experiences and perceived learning outcomes , 2008 .

[27]  G. Hull,et al.  Locating the Semiotic Power of Multimodality , 2005 .

[28]  Linda M. Harasim,et al.  Learning Theory and Online Technologies , 2011 .

[29]  Terry T. Ishitani,et al.  After Transfer: The Engagement of Community College Students at a Four-Year Collegiate Institution , 2010 .

[30]  Beryl C. McEwen,et al.  Effective Online Instructional and Assessment Strategies , 2007 .

[31]  Barbara Means,et al.  Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies , 2009 .

[32]  Robert E. Kraut,et al.  Building Member Attachment in Online Communities: Applying Theories of Group Identity and Interpersonal Bonds , 2012, MIS Q..

[33]  Stan Guidera,et al.  Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Online Instruction in Terms of the Seven Principles of Effective Undergraduate Education , 2003 .

[34]  Jianliang Xu,et al.  A Knowledge Engineering Approach to Develop Domain Ontology , 2011, Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol..

[35]  Michele D. Dickey.  The impact of web-logs (blogs) on student perceptions of isolation and alienation in a web-based distance-learning environment , 2004 .

[36]  Diana G. Oblinger,et al.  The Myth about Online Course Development: "A Faculty Member Can Individually Develop and Deliver an Effective Online Course" , 2006 .

[37]  Ji-Hye Park,et al.  Factors Influencing Adult Learners' Decision to Drop Out or Persist in Online Learning , 2009, J. Educ. Technol. Soc..

[38]  Robert Orr,et al.  Institutional Efforts to Support Faculty in Online Teaching , 2009 .

[39]  L. Morris,et al.  Collaborative Course Development for Online Courses , 2007 .

[40]  Kathleen P. King,et al.  New perspectives on designing and implementing professional development of teachers of adults , 2003 .

[41]  Steven R. Aragon,et al.  Factors Influencing Completion and Noncompletion of Community College Online Courses , 2008 .

[42]  W. Durden.  Reclaiming the Distinctiveness of American Higher Education. , 2007 .

[43]  Janet C. Moore,et al.  The Sloan Consortium , 2005 .

[44]  Anthony R. Artino,et al.  Motivational beliefs and perceptions of instructional quality: predicting satisfaction with online training , 2007, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[45]  Jeff Hoyer,et al.  Technology Integration in Education: The Dilemma of Shifting Paradigms , 2006 .

[46]  Katrina A. Meyer,et al.  The Influence of Online Teaching on Faculty Productivity , 2012 .

[47]  Kevin R. Guidry,et al.  Engaging online learners: The impact of Web-based learning technology on college student engagement , 2010, Comput. Educ..

[48]  David H. Rose.  Universal Design for Learning , 2000 .

[49]  B. Jean Mandernach.  Effect of Instructor-Personalized Multimedia in the Online Classroom , 2009 .

[50]  Benjamin Kehrwald,et al.  Understanding social presence in text‐based online learning environments , 2008 .

[51]  A. Chickering,et al.  Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education , 1987, CORE.

[52]  Yi-Shun Wang,et al.  Assessment of learner satisfaction with asynchronous electronic learning systems , 2003, Inf. Manag..

[53]  Mary K. Tallent-Runnels,et al.  Student outcomes and perceptions of instructors' demands and support in online and traditional classrooms , 2006, Internet High. Educ..

[54]  George D. Kuh,et al.  Why Teacher-Scholars Matter , 2007 .

[55]  Ruth H. Maki,et al.  Prediction of Learning and Satisfaction in Web-Based and Lecture Courses , 2003 .

[56]  Lydia Kyei-Blankson.  Learning to Teach and Teaching Online: Faculty-Faculty Interactions in Online Environments , 2009 .

[57]  Phyllis Jones,et al.  Virtual Spaces: Employing a Synchronous Online Classroom to Facilitate Student Engagement in Online Learning , 2009 .

[58]  Boaventura DaCosta,et al.  Comparison of Instructors' and Students' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Online Courses , 2010 .

[59]  Yong Zhao,et al.  What Makes the Difference? A Practical Analysis of Research on the Effectiveness of Distance Education , 2005, Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education.

[60]  Denise E. Stanford.  Persistence in Online Classes: A Study of Perceptions among Community College Stakeholders , 2008 .

[61]  I. E. Allen,et al.  Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States, 2009. , 2010 .

[62]  Cherng-Jyh Yen,et al.  A Study of the Predictive Relationships Between Faculty Engagement, Learner Satisfaction and Outcomes in Multiple Learning Delivery Modes , 2012, Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol..

[63]  Rhonda R. Dobbs,et al.  Students' Perceptions of Online Courses: The Effect of Online Course Experience , 2009 .

[64]  Marcia D. Dixson.  Creating effective student engagement in online courses: What do students find engaging? , 2010 .

[65]  J. Laffey,et al.  Building a Social and Motivational Framework for Understanding Satisfaction in Online Learning , 2008 .

[66]  Janet L. Lear,et al.  Interactivity/Community Process Model for the Online Education Environment , 2010 .

[67]  Jeff Seaman,et al.  Online Learning as a Strategic Asset. Volume II: The Paradox of Faculty Voices--Views and Experiences with Online Learning. Results of a National Faculty Survey, Part of the Online Education Benchmarking Study Conducted by the APLU-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning. , 2009 .

[68]  R. G. Wingard,et al.  Classroom Teaching Changes in Web-Enhanced Courses: A Multi-Institutional Study. , 2004 .

[69]  J. Visser,et al.  Faculty work in developing and teaching web‐based distance courses: A case study of time and effort , 2000 .

[70]  M E Luczun.  Analyzing qualitative data. , 1988, Journal of post anesthesia nursing.

[71]  Abbie H. Brown,et al.  The Retention of Experienced Faculty in Online Distance Education Programs: Understanding Factors that Impact their Involvement , 2009 .

[72]  Mark A. McKnight,et al.  Exploring burnout among university online instructors: An initial investigation , 2007, Internet High. Educ..

[73]  C. C. Lo,et al.  How Student Satisfaction Factors Affect Perceived Learning. , 2010 .

[74]  Karen Swan,et al.  Virtual interaction: Design factors affecting student satisfaction and perceived learning in asynchronous online courses , 2001 .

[75]  Susan Ko,et al.  Teaching Online: A Practical Guide , 2000 .

[76]  David Zyngier.  Advancing student engagement through changed teaching practices , 2006 .