The history and state of online learning

Review of Educational Research, 2006

This literature review summarizes research on online teaching and learning. It is organized into four topics: course environment, learners’ outcomes, learners’ characteristics, and institutional and administrative factors. The authors found little consistency of terminology, discovered some conclusive guidelines, and identified developing lines of inquiry. The conclusions overall suggest that most of the studies reviewed were descriptive and exploratory, that most online students are nontraditional and Anglo American, and that few universities have written policies, guidelines, or technical support for faculty members or students. Asynchronous communication seemed to facilitate in-depth communication (but not more than in traditional classes), students liked to move at their own pace, learning outcomes appeared to be the same as in traditional courses, and students with prior training in computers were more satisfied with online courses. Continued research is needed to inform learne...

Handbook of Research on the Future of Work and Education, 2021

This chapter provides readers with a comprehensive review of strategies for effective design in online instruction. The authors explore the traditional debate between advocates and critics of online education and discuss effectiveness in retention, engagement, and overall academic performance. The chapter differentiates between "online-first" course design and emergency remote delivery, as experienced in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key factors include identifying engagement and communication strategies such as "ask me anything" sessions and tailored selection of resources. Open educational resources (OER), pre-recorded lectures, podcasts, and "online-first" textbooks are presented as appropriate and cost-conscious content options. Also included are alternative assessment ideas and universal design for learning (UDL) and accessibility guidelines. The chapter provides a continuum model for the transition of in-person courses to online instruction while conscious of both instructor workload/ instructional support and expected level of learner workload and engagement.

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2009

Population growth (Broad, 1997), institutional competition (Daniel & Cox, 2002), and changing learner needs (Willis, Tucker, & Gunn, 2003) are among the issues influencing the increase in online teaching and learning. Related to this, emergent and expanding distance learning technologies have subsequently pitted "brick and mortar" against "online" paradigms. This has resulted in a need for research to clarify the relevance, effectiveness, restrictive and facilitative dimensions of online courses. For example, faculty are increasingly expected and encouraged to develop and teach online courses often with misperceptions about required pedagogical skills and without adequate support and preparation (Choi & Park, 2006). This qualitative study is therefore, aimed at sharing the experiences and perspectives of two novice online instructors' operating within two colleges in the eastern US. These instructors initially shared that a key motivation for the teaching of their online courses was fear of becoming professionally out of date and of 'giving in' to technophobia. This paper reports on the background to-and different approaches adopted towards-developing two online courses as well as providing student perceptions of their on-line learning experience. Findings and recommendations from this research are aimed at providing an insight into some of the fundamental issues that other novice 'online' instructors will need to consider in developing their own technology mediated courses.

Minot State University's College of Business has offered courses over the Internet since 1997, and this fall two business bachelor's degrees were offered completely online. As Business Information Technology faculty developed their courses for the online environment, they strived to provide the students the opportunity to gain the same knowledge and skills regardless of their learning environment. This study presents the preliminary findings of research comparing student learning, both actual and self reported, in an online environment and a traditional classroom setting. The purpose of this research is to assess whether student learning in the different environment is comparable.

2012

Online education has emerged as an effective and increasingly common alternative to face-to-face instruction in postsecondary education. This article is a summary of effective practices in online instructional methods, including course design, interaction among course participants, and instructor preparation and support.

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie

The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing online learning given its rapid growth combined with the necessity to reduce attrition in online classes by providing quality instruction. This study was contextualized using the three elements of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. We surveyed 93 students currently registered in online classes about their online learning experiences, perceptions, technological delivery of their course. Findings revealed that the majority of online courses were asynchronous using Moodle. There was a statistically significant difference between the three CoI dimensions and level of education where graduate students had more favourable online learning experience as measured by the CoI survey.

Using a qualitative content analysis approach, this study reviewed 47 published studies and research on online teaching and learning since 2008, primarily focusing on how theories, practices and assessments apply to the online learning environment. The purpose of this paper is to provide practical suggestions for those who are planning to develop online courses so that they can make informed decisions in the implementation process. Based on the findings, the authors argued that effective online instruction is dependent upon 1) well-designed course content, motivated interaction between the instructor and learners, well-prepared and fully-supported instructors; 2) creation of a sense of online learning community; and 3) rapid advancement of technology. In doing this, it is hoped that this will stimulate an ongoing discussion of effective strategies that can enhance universities and faculty success in transitioning to teach online. Under current debates on the cost and quality of higher education, this study could help for the improvement of higher education and student enrollment and retention.

TechTrends, 2017

Increased enrollment in online programs and courses has prompted a plethora of research on instructional strategies that impact online students' learning. Most of these strategies came from instructors, and others were solicited from students. While the literature notes that students who have more university experience tend to provide more substantive responses when solicited, there seems to be limited representation of online master's students' preferences on what instructional strategies work for them. There is paucity in the literature on how these preferred instructional strategies inform existing theoretical and practical frameworks that could impact online learning performance. This article discusses the Top Ten Instructional Strategies preferred by master's students who responded to a dissertation survey question-What specific things would you like your online instructors do to help you learn successfully?-and relates these strategies to the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education and the Quality Matters Rubric.

Internet Learning, 2012

What are the foundations of student satisfaction or dissatisfaction with online courses? Why do online learners succeed and others fail or drop out? What kind of instructional designs, pedagogical practices, and administrative standards contribute to the development of effective online courses with high retention rates and positive student learning outcomes? Plenty of valid, well-researched information and literature reviews, along with abundant data accumulated through student/faculty surveys and online learning course evaluations, are outlined and summarized inside numerous academic papers that attempt to answer such questions. This report is based on the author's search and analysis of numerous scholarly academic papers that addressed such questions and were published between 2004 and 2007.

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2018

This study examined the effectiveness of 3 online courses compared with the same 3 courses in a face-to-face (F2F) format, which had the same characteristics (e.g., the same instructor and final exam content and place). Effectiveness was examined by utilizing a wide range of variables, including 2 objective measures (N = 968): grades and completion rate; and 9 subjective measures (N = 360): 7 measures include instructional aspects (course structure, learning content, lessons watched, assignments, communication), engagement, and satisfaction. Findings indicate significant differences between online and F2F courses in most of the examined variables. Students in the online courses reported better understanding of the course structure, better communication with the course staff, watching the videos lessens more, and higher engagement and satisfaction. Students in the F2F courses reported better contribution of the learning content. Students' final grades were higher in the online courses, and no differences were found in the completion rate. The findings suggest that in many of the examined effectiveness aspects, online courses are as effective as, or more effective than, F2F courses. Interpretations of the findings are discussed.