This in-situ, causal-comparative study examined the difference in the quality of online discussions performed by learners with diversity in age and ethnicity status within different online interaction arrangements. Data was collected from 463 students in 19 online courses mainly via a content analysis with online interaction transcripts and an…

This study explored how class size affects the quality of online language teaching and learning. Administrators and departments often make decisions about class size based on fiscal and budgetary constraints rather than on best practices in blended and/or online learning. The present study compared the experiences of instructors and students in…

This study examined the effects of internal academic locus of control (ALOC), learning strategies, flow experience, and student satisfaction on student retention in online learning courses. A total number of 282 adult students at the Korea National Open University participated in the study by completing an online survey adopted from previous…

This paper examines the relationships between the elements of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, disciplinary differences, perceived learning, instructor effectiveness, and delivery medium satisfaction. Specifically, the proposed research examines whether disciplinary differences such as those proposed by Biglan (1973a, 1973b) moderate the…

The authors contend that ambivalence students feel toward online courses modifies the dimensionality by which they evaluate their learning experiences. The data from this study show that as student ambivalence increases, so do the number of elements they use to evaluate their courses. As the student view of a course becomes more complex those…

This paper extends the research on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework of understanding features of successful online learning to include the effects of the software used to support and facilitate it. This study examines how the Learning Management System (LMS) affords people the ability to take actions in an online course. A model is…

To maximize the quality of the online experience and actualize the potential of alternative learning environments at their institutions, administrators must explore the perceived experiences of the members of their online learning communities. The overall purpose of the study was to identify factors that would enhance student and instructor…

The purpose of this study was to explore variables explaining students' self-regulation (SR) for interaction with others, specifically peers and instructors, in online learning environments. A total of 407 students participated in the study. With hierarchical regression model (HRM), several variables were regressed on students' SR for interaction…

This article documents the institutional change and leadership associated with blended learning innovation in higher education. Two case studies are provided that demonstrate how transformational institutional change related to blended teaching and learning approaches is predicated upon committed collaborative leadership that engages all levels of…

Now that most of the innovators and early adopters of online instruction are comfortably teaching online, many institutions are facing challenges as they prepare the next wave of online instructors. This research study examines how faculty in this "next wave" (the majority of adopters) differ from the innovators and early adopters of online…

In 1992, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation began its "Anytime, Anyplace Learning Program", the purpose of which was to explore educational alternatives for people who wanted to pursue an education via Internet technology. Part of this grant activity was a research award to the Babson College Survey Research Group to examine online learning in…

This qualitative research study was designed to inform the development and implementation of effective online learning environments by exploring, from both teacher and student perspectives, what constitute effective online learning experiences. The study examined course content, tasks, and pedagogical approaches, as identified by students and…

This paper reports on preliminary findings from ongoing design-based research being conducted in the fully online Master of Arts in Teacher Leadership (MTL) program at a small, Midwest public university. Researchers are using the Quality Matters (QM) and Community of Inquiry (CoI) frameworks to guide the iterative redesign of core courses in the…

This paper presents an empirical study grounded in the Community of Inquiry framework (Garrison, Anderson Archer, 2000) and employs quantitative content analysis of student discourse and other artifacts of learning in online courses in an effort to enhance and improve the framework and offer practical implications for online education. As a…

Online learning continues to grow, but there is limited empirical research on the personal factors that influence success in online contexts. This investigation addresses this research gap by exploring the relations between several discrete achievement-related emotions (boredom, frustration, and enjoyment) and self-regulated learning behaviors…