For academics who administer, design, and develop courses for online graduate programs, emphasis is placed on creating student-centered experiences that are grounded in scholarly learning and instructional theory using state-of-the art technology. This study sought to identify discussion strategies that would enhance the student learning…

The purpose of this study was to examine online instructors' experiences and perceptions of online teaching and their communication with students in an online environment. More specifically, the study focused on the questions regarding: (1) instructors' general experiences and perceptions of online teaching; (2) instructors' general experiences…

Distance learning has become more popular in recent years. Due to concern about the quality of web-based courses, the purpose of this study was to explore the differences in web-based versus land-based courses. In this study, the researcher compares web-based and land-based education courses to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each type of…

This qualitative study is an exploratory, retrospective content analysis (Schwandt, 2007) of 81 debrief statements collected over 3 years and written by graduate students in an educational technology graduate program's educational leadership course taught 100% online. Researchers analyzed students' debrief statements of lessons learned and task…

Recent studies of online learning environments reveal the importance of interaction within the virtual environment. Abrami, Bernard, Bures, Borokhovski, and Tamim (2011) identify and study 3 types of student interactions: student-content, student-teacher, and student-student. This article builds on this classification of interactions as it…

As online learning continues to grow, it is important to investigate students' overall experiences in online learning environments. Understanding students' perspectives on their online classes or programs moves beyond the sole question of student satisfaction to more nuanced questions about how factors inside and outside of the classroom impact…

This study explores 465 postsecondary students' experiences in online classes through the lens of connectivism. Downes' 4 properties of connectivism (diversity, autonomy, interactivity, and openness) were used as the study design. An exploratory factor analysis was performed. This study found a 4-factor solution. Subjects indicated that autonomy…

The problem under investigation for this study was to identify a method for determining a student's potential for success in an online communication course using the Readiness for Education At a Distance Indicator (READI) assessment instrument as a predictor. The READI tool focuses on six areas that students should score well on in order to be…

The long-term effect and influence of educational experiences on K-12 learners necessitates empirical research of innovations and discoveries in the field prior to their implementation in the classroom. Online distance education is such an innovation because demand and enthusiasm for its implementations continues to grow. However, more rigorous…

Researchers investigated perceived satisfaction of undergraduate students with high-enrollment online course sections at a research-intensive university. A modified survey instrument was administered to all undergraduate students enrolled in 2 online statistics courses in which interaction was not a central element of course design. Students were…

Interaction is a critical component of distance education and involves the transfer of information between the learner and content, learner and learner, or learner and instructor (Moore, 1989). Current distance education literature has examined the role of interaction, specifically learner-learner interaction, in learning and discussion design to…

More than one in four students now take at least one course online. The most common factors cited as affecting distance education decisions are meeting student demand for flexible schedules (68%), providing access for students who would not have access (67%), and making more courses available (46%) (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008).…

This study examined student perceptions of teaching presence and communication timeliness in asynchronous online courses. Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's (2000) community of inquiry model provided the framework for the survey research methodology used. Participants were 59 student volunteers taking 1 or more asynchronous online graduate courses.…

Australia's large size and scattered population made it a prime location for the development of correspondence education in the 1920s, and the country is still in the forefront of distance education. This article is based on an extensive interview with Terry Evans, professor at Deakin University in Australia, who reflects on the history of…

The changes precipitated by today's computer-based technologies are perhaps no more keenly felt than in the field of education, where technological innovation signals fundamental transformations in the manner in which educational programs will be delivered to 21st century students. Online learning is providing higher education institutions with an…