Instructional Strategies: What Do Online Students Prefer?

This study examined student opinions and preferences regarding the impact of six varied instructional strategies in an online graduate curriculum course. The primary research questions were 1) Which online instructional module did students most prefer? 2) Which online instructional module did students least prefer? Students enrolled in two curriculum courses in a Master’s of Art in Education program rated the instructional strategies in the online courses and described their most and least preferred technique. All participants were female and included both pre­service and in­service teachers. Data were gathered through student reflections and a survey administered at the conclusion of the class. Student reflections were coded for themes while survey data was analyzed for frequency counts. Results indicated that students preferred independent, passive modes of instruction in online courses because of ease, convenience, and comfort level. Overall reflections indicated student appreciation of a mix of instructional strategies that incorporated more interactive technological modes of instruction with independent, passive modes of instruction. These findings suggest when developing online courses, university professors not assume one instructional strategy fits all. As a result, online courses should provide a balance of instructional approaches.

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