scholarly journals Online Student Expectations: A Multifaceted, Student-centred Understanding of Online Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-98
Author(s):  
Mel Henry
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Academic Experience ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Student Expectations ◽  
Online Students ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Depth Interviews

University students are more likely to feel satisfied and persist with their studies if their experiences have met their expectations, and vice versa (Wu, Tsai, Chen, & Wu, 2006). Understanding what online students expect, therefore, is important to guide how universities might satisfy and retain these students. Research into online student expectations to date, however, has been limited to pre-defined expectations of the academic experience, and extrapolations from traditional higher education. To gain a deeper understanding of what online students expect, the author conducted in-depth interviews with 43 commencing online students. Thematic analysis revealed online students’ expectations were described by six key themes: Motivation, Ability, Circumstances, Interaction, Curriculum, and Environment. The findings offer an empirical, student-centred, and multifaceted understanding of online student expectations. Opportunities are illuminated to clarify inaccurate expectations, and to design online education to better meet student needs, facilitating enhanced online student satisfaction and retention.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Teaching Assistant Program in Online Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley N Armstrong ◽  
Kirsten Lupinski ◽  
Michelle M Burcin ◽  
Kimberly Kato ◽  
Marsha Kaufman
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Virtual Classroom ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Undergraduate Programs

Online student success is determined by several factors, including learning effectiveness, access (academic, technical, and administrative support), faculty satisfaction, and student satisfaction. These factors are part of the Online Learning Consortium’s Pillars of Quality Online Education, which were established to ensure all students are provided a quality education, with high levels of student engagement, instructor feedback and interaction, and experiential learning opportunities. Using Teaching Assistants (TAs) in the virtual classroom is not a traditional practice for most online institutions, but is a strategy that can have a positive impact on these factors. This exploratory research study discusses a TA program that was developed, implemented, and evaluated over 3 years. Fifteen (<em>n</em> = 15) doctoral students were hired to provide teaching support to high-risk courses in the undergraduate programs. Background, recruitment, onboarding, division of course responsibilities, data, and outcomes of the 3-year TA programs are discussed in alignment with the five pillars. Findings suggest the addition of TAs in online education is a potentially useful strategy to improve student learning outcomes, scale, access, and faculty and student satisfaction.

scholarly journals Quality Assessment of Online Learning in Regional Higher Education Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 929-943
Author(s):  
Olga A. Gritsova ◽  
Elena V. Tissen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Higher Education Systems

The quality of online learning mechanisms, widely implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is a significant issue for regional higher education systems. The research aims to assess student satisfaction with the quality of online education by identifying discrepancies between their requirements and the actual learning process. In order to examine the gaps between students’ expectations and perceptions, a new approach was proposed based on the integrated use of Gap analysis and SERVQUAL methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative aspects. SERVQUAL questionnaires for measuring student satisfaction with online learning include the following criteria: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy. Full- and part-time undergraduates of humanitarian and socio-economic departments of two universities participated in the study. Ural Federal University bachelors, learning via Moodle and Microsoft Teams platforms, could directly communicate with their peers and professors, while students of National Research Nuclear University MEPhI were engaged in massive open online courses (MOOC). As a result, all five criteria were analysed in the proposed model for quality assessment of online learning to reveal the gaps between students’ expectations and perceptions of the educational process. Significant discrepancies in the «empathy» and «responsiveness» criteria in both groups demonstrate low student satisfaction with the quality of communication and individualisation of learning. The research findings can be used to construct resource allocation models for implementing educational programmes and developing support measures for regional higher education institutions.

scholarly journals Facilitation strategies for enhancing the learning and engagement of online students

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-118
Author(s):  
Tracey Muir ◽  
◽  
Tracy Douglas ◽  
Allison Trimble ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Online Students ◽  
Tertiary Sector ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Instructor Presence ◽  
The Impact

The opening up of online education in the Australian tertiary sector has made higher education accessible for a wide range of students, including those living in rural and regional areas. While student numbers continue to grow as a result of this opportunity, there are increasing concerns regarding low student retention and progression rates for online students in comparison with on-campus students. Reasons for this vary, however, online students report a sense of isolation and disconnection with their studies highlighting the need for educators to utilise effective facilitation to enhance student connections to an online community. In this paper, we investigated facilitation strategies using two case studies. This illustrated how two online instructors used design-based research to evaluate the impact of facilitation strategies on instructor presence, instructor connection, engagement and learning in maths education and human biology subjects. Findings indicate that focusing on social, managerial and technical facilitation strategies resulted in an increased instructor presence and active involvement, which in turn were influential in motivating students to engage with learning online. The findings have implications for higher education providers and instructors who are tasked with engaging online students. This identifies the importance of targeted online facilitation to enhance learner-instructor and learner-content engagement.

Retention of Online Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-38
Author(s):  
Pamela A. Lemoine ◽  
Gina Sheeks ◽  
Robert E. Waller ◽  
Michael D. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Dropout Rate ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
Online Students ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Online Services ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Education Enrollment

The most important word for contemporary global higher education institutions is retention. Although online education enrollment in these institutions has increased by approximately 40 percent in recent years, the dropout rates for online students is approximately 20-30 percent more than for face-to-face classes. Institutions have tried to address this issue, but the dropout rate continues to be a serious concern. The authors of this manuscript propose that the addition of online services for online students as a possible solution.

scholarly journals Learning for Earning: Student Expectations and Perceptions of University

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Gorgodze ◽  
Lasha Macharashvili ◽  
Anna Kamladze
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Academic Programs ◽  
The Other ◽  
University Education ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Student Expectations ◽  
The University ◽  
Depth Interviews

In the context of increasing numbers of students enrolling in higher education in the last decade, understanding student expectations of their universities becomes more important. Universities need to know what students expect if they want to keep them satisfied and continue attracting them. On the other hand, it is also important to know whether student expectations are in line with the purpose of the universities and the causes they serve. This research explores students’ expectations and perceptions of the university in post-Soviet Georgia, as well as whether these expectations are in line with the perspectives of university administrators. For the purposes of this research, over 800 bachelor level students of different academic programs were surveyed at five big public universities across Georgia. Additionally, 10 in-depth interviews were conducted with university administrators to learn about the purpose that public universities try to serve and to understand their perspectives on what should be expected of university. After the analysis of the results, two focus groups were conducted with the students in Western and Eastern Georgia to make sense of the findings obtained through the student survey. Finally, 4 in-depth interviews were conducted with experts to understand their perspectives on the actual findings of this research. The results suggest that employment is the main expectation from a university education. Moreover, there is a mismatch between what students identify as their primary expectation and what administrators believe students should expect. Significance and implications of these results for universities are discussed.

scholarly journals PACE UNIVERSITY’S FOCUS ON STUDENT SATISFACTION WITH STUDENT SERVICES IN ONLINE EDUCATION

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Sachs
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Student Services ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Student Support Services ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Online Students ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The University

In 1999, Pace University was awarded a $1,000,000, three-year FIPSE Learning Anytime Anywhere Program (LAAP) Grant. The grant focuses on three areas: online testing, enhanced student support services, and mentoring. Funding from the LAAP grant has enabled the University to greatly enhance the student services that are provided to online students. The focus has been primarily on students who are within the NACTEL program, an online AS in Telecommunications degree offered to individuals working for Citizens Communications, Qwest, SBC and Verizon, and who are members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). FIPSE funding has enabled the University to extensively survey students in the program, by an outside evaluator. These surveys are all online, are tabulated instantly, and provide a steady stream of feedback to administrators and faculty who are involved in the program. In addition, FIPSE funding hasmade it possible to hire individuals who on a regular basis attend to how to best provide enhanced student support services for online students. As new ideas are developed, they are implemented as quickly as possible. This paper will present some of the research findings, and will also provide details about the changes to the NACTEL program that have occurred as a direct result.

DELES Analysis of E-Learning Environments

2017 ◽  
pp. 128-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hunter Keeney ◽  
Kaye Shelton ◽  
Diane Mason ◽  
J. Kenneth Young
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Personal Relevance ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
Instructor Support

As online education expands, more data is needed on how to optimize its effectiveness in higher education settings. This chapter highlights a quantitative study that utilized the Distance Education Learning Environments Survey (DELES), to test the effects of student-centered learning constructs on student satisfaction in online courses. The sample population consisted of 306 students taking masters-level online courses in education or nursing at a university in Southeast Texas. Descriptive statistics and data were analyzed by correlation analysis and stepwise regression. Results of analyses showed personal relevance and authentic learning had the strongest correlations with student satisfaction, whereas the strongest predictors of student satisfaction were personal relevance and instructor support. The findings of the study described herein can provide beneficial insight regarding the design of effective online learning environments in higher education and improving the quality of the student experience.

scholarly journals Post-Degree Intentions of Female International Undergraduate Students Studying in Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-158
Author(s):  
Alison Kelly ◽  
Dawn Bennett ◽  
Beena Giridharan ◽  
Lorna Rosenwax
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Depth Interviews

Higher education has been positively linked with increased opportunity for women, including enhanced employability, increased migration, enriched cultural capital, and improved language skills. With the number of international students rising, understanding postdegree intentions is increasingly important for institutions, policy makers, and administrators. This qualitative study explored the postdegree intentions of female international undergraduate students at the Malaysian campus of an Australian university. In-depth interviews were conducted with students from a range of degree programs and data was studied using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that postdegree intentions were substantially influenced by other people and policies; a common aspiration was to balance career and family; postdegree intentions were not solely career-focused; and the students anticipated discrimination and inequality but were determined to successfully navigate these.

What Do Unsuccessful Online Students Want Us To Know?

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Fetzner
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Online Students ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Successful Students ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Satisfaction Surveys

Over the past twelve years, Monroe Community College (MCC), in Rochester, NY, has administered three surveys to non-successful online students to ask about their perceptions of online learning and to learn about student perceived barriers in the online environment. For these surveys, non-successful students were defined as those students who received a grade of F or W in an MCC online course. Typically, these particular students do not share their perceptions of online learning with the college because they rarely participate in end of the year student satisfaction surveys. Thus, their perceptions are often invisible and unknown to institutions. In the MCC surveys, students were asked to: share their perspectives on why they felt that were not successful in their online class; comment on their expectations for online classes; and share the advice that they would give to a student who was considering taking an online MCC class. The students’ responses to these questions were fairly consistent over the course of time that the surveys were conducted, 2000-2001, 2005-2006, and 2009-2010. The combined responses for the three surveys indicated that the number one reason why students felt that they were not successful in their online course was because they “got behind and couldn’t catch up.” Although online student satisfaction surveys provide insights into the perceptions of online students, the voluntary respondents to these surveys are those students who typically did well in the course. A review of the results of the responses from unsuccessful online students broadens the scope of the voice of the students and brings to the forefront the perspectives of students who were not successful. These data can help to inform the types of student services support that unsuccessful online MCC students feel are needed.

MEETING ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS: ARE YOU SERVING DISTANCE LEARNERS?

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Hardy ◽  
Katherine Meyer-Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Work Design ◽  
Distance Learners ◽  
Technological Systems ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Assessment And Evaluation ◽  
State College ◽  
Environmental Work

Recent changes in the higher education landscape have called for greater access and accountability in a number of areas, most particularly distance learning. While there is a very significant instructional aspect to this equation, providing effective support and services to students enrolled in online education is becoming comparatively important, especially with accrediting bodies. However, in meeting the needs of this unique population, institutions are discovering that the services they provide to distance learners can be offered to all students, regardless of where they live or how they choose to take their classes. This article provides an overview of the Welcome Center, created in 2009 at Florida State College at Jacksonville, as a model for delivering quality and effective online student services to students, to include strategic planning, assessment and evaluation, environmental work design, functions, staffing, training, and technological systems.

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