Significant quantitative and qualitative findings will be shared from three cross-institutional research studies in online learning. Research design will be briefly illustrated. Implications for practiced will be discussed.
The National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA Research Center, http://www.uwm.edu/deta) spent three years designing research models and conducting rigorous research in higher ed across numerous institutions (2-year and 4-year) to help us identify effective instructional and institutional practices in online courses and programs. It is typical for people in the field of distance education to discuss data-driven decisions or evidence-based practices, yet many times the data and evidence that is driving decisions and practices within educational institutions lacks the rigor of empirical research. Data from student surveys and institutionally warehoused data allowed us to gather empirical findings as to what actually works for students, including underrepresented students, rather than making decisions based on partial or inaccurate data. Many of the current practices in our course design and development are loosely based off research, yet seldom do we actually know if what we are doing will positively impact student outcomes. Statistically significant findings of three studies on online courses will be shared.
Study one focused on student characteristics to assess student preparedness and readiness including online skills proficiency, technology familiarity, organization skills, online learning efficacy, self-directedness, and socialization.
Study two examined instructional characteristics based on course quality indicators including learner support, design and organization, interactivity with content, interactivity with instructor, interactivity with peers, and assessment and evaluation.
Study three explored social and academic involvement including measures of active learning, task activity challenge, course interactivity, engagement, social presence, learning community, and more.
A summary of the hypotheses -
Hypothesis: Students’ perceptions of a.) learning, b.) satisfaction, and c.) performance (instructor reported grade) will be increased by:
-
Student characteristics, specifically a.) online skill proficiency, b.) technology familiarity, c.) organization, d.) online learning efficacy, e.) self-directedness, and f.) and socialization,
-
Instructional characteristics, specifically a.) learner support, b.) design and organization, c.) content design and delivery, d.) interactivity with instructors, e.) interactivity with peers, and f.) assessment and evaluation,
-
Academic and social involvement, specifically a.) task activity and challenge, b.) interactions via technology,vc.) active learning behaviors, d.) social presence, f.) learning community, and f.) engagement.
The session will challenge participants to take the information shared from DETA to interpret these findings and strategize how to bring them back to their institutions as a means for informing practices.
Come find out what is significant and what is not. In a time when we have less resources, including time, let’s find out where we should be focusing our efforts and truly driving our practices with evidence.