This session includes the research highlights of a study of three online programs recognized by the OLC. The study utilized the case study method to examine critical thinking in online programs using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Surveys, interviews, and an evaluation of learning objectives were employed to yield data on the programs.
Higher education has been under considerable scrutiny for many years. The capabilities of graduates have been the subject of many studies. Science and technology-related classes are content-rich areas involving concepts important for students to understand. In several studies, graduates of higher education have not been able to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the concepts from the classes completed in their degrees.
The Internet has facilitated tremendous changes to education. Many schools are offering a large number of classes and sometimes entire degrees in an online format. With these changes come new challenges in regard to how material is presented to the student and how the objectives of classes are met. In many cases, the instructional design that was employed in a face-to-face class does not work the same way in an online class. Online classes typically need to be designed to meet the objectives of the class and to ensure that a deep understanding of the material is acquired by the students.
The objective of this study is to identify best practices in engaging student learning in online classes, a factor that more traditional methods of assessment may not be well suited to expose. The data were applied to the Taxonomy Table as a means of exploring the instructional methods, student perception of learning, and Bloom’s Taxonomy.
This exploratory study utilized qualitative and quantitative data with an elevated emphasis on the case study method. The sample size was three fully-online education programs in technology-related fields. The data was used to identify the characteristics that are thought to support critical thinking in an online learning environment. Multiple sources of data were used to provide a more complete and accurate picture of the context and methods of the online programs included in the study. Data was collected through interviews, documentation, and student surveys. The data was used to develop theories related to the research questions. The learning objectives from the class documentation was used to classify them on the taxonomy table. The study addresses the research questions and emergent themes as well as an in-depth look at the learning objectives of the programs in the study.
Results: Practices were identified that are believed to significantly influence the effectiveness of online education in meeting its intended goals. The results related to learning objectives provided insight into what types of student activities best support students in the acquisition of higher order thinking skills. The creation of student projects and the level of specificity in their requirements can be considered as important factors in the support on high order thinking and learning objectives. One of the practices identified as critical to successful online programs is a high level of interaction.
Conclusions: The study yielded findings beyond the research question that help complete the picture of what successful online education may entail. The need for more research into specific areas of online education is discussed.
The presentation will consist of a brief overview of the study and a discussion of the findings and conclusions. A question and answer period will follow the presentation.
The goal of this presentation is to share the findings of the study for the benefit of online educators. Participants may adapt concepts from the findings for their own programs.
The context of the study is from that of an educator investigating the programs of other schools.
Questions
1. What instructional methods are in practice that are associated with higher order thinking skills?
2. What student work is intended to support or assess higher order thinking skills?
3. What practices do the recognized online programs have in common?
4. What supports are in place for higher order thinking skills?
5. How do the methods and their intended outcomes compare to the taxonomy table and student outcomes?
Methods: The case study method was employed to collect information from the identified programs. Data sources include archival records, semi-structured interviews, and surveys. The sample was chosen though selective sampling, with participants chosen purposively based on the information sought for the study. Faculty, staff and administrators of the identified programs were interviewed to create a complete picture of the program and its support. Documentation and records available on the programs provide further insight into what outcomes are claimed to be the benefits of program completion. The learning objectives of the courses and interview data allowed a comparison of course learning activities with the taxonomy table to determine what activities are designed to foster higher order thinking skills. Surveys helped identify learning activities in the courses that students relate to their acquisition of higher order thinking skills. The data was analyzed through content analysis and a theory emerged on how best to foster higher order learning skills in an online educational environment.