scholarly journals Plan, prepare and connect: How investing in understanding and tracking the evolving needs of online students informs the development of targeted programs for transition and success

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-61
Author(s):  
Deanna Horvath ◽  
◽  
Emma Stirling ◽  
John Bevacqua ◽  
Michael Coldrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Academic Support ◽  
Student Preparedness ◽  
Delivery Modes ◽  
Online Higher Education ◽  
Student Demand ◽  
Ongoing Support ◽  
Good Support

Growth in online higher education offerings has been significant in recent years, with many Australian Universities launching programs to extend into new markets and meet the student demand for greater flexibility in delivery modes. Further, it is well understood that good support is an essential component to student success, satisfaction and retention. Despite this, orientation, including non-academic support, is often overlooked in online education systems. Therefore, the current study aimed to develop an orientation program to increase student preparedness and facilitate ongoing support, in addition to developing evidence-based best-practice strategies to support academic’s when developing new online courses.

Faculty Participation in Online Higher Education

2018 ◽  
pp. 2000-2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Participation ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Higher Education ◽  
Student Demand ◽  
Education Report

In the past decade, enrollments in distance education, and specifically online education, have grown dramatically in the United States. According to the 2009 Sloan Report (), enrollments in online courses increased from 9.6% of total postsecondary enrollments in 2002 to 25.3% in 2009. Unfortunately, a number of barriers exist that may result in an inability of higher education institutions to provide quality online education programming in sufficient scale to meet the expected student demand. The Managing Online Education report () identifies the resistance of faculty towards teaching in an online environment as foremost among ten factors that “impede institutional efforts to expand online education programs” (p. 1). An understanding of the factors that both motivate and discourage faculty member participation in online education programs is critical if institutions are to leverage their existing faculty to meet the current and future demand for online education. This case study first presents a number of motivating and inhibiting factors and then discusses how St. Bonaventure University leveraged these factors in an attempt to boost faculty participation in online education.

Faculty Participation in Online Higher Education

2018 ◽  
pp. 1148-1161
Author(s):  
Michael S. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Participation ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Higher Education ◽  
Student Demand ◽  
Education Report

In the past decade, enrollments in distance education, and specifically online education, have grown dramatically in the United States. According to the 2009 Sloan Report (), enrollments in online courses increased from 9.6% of total postsecondary enrollments in 2002 to 25.3% in 2009. Unfortunately, a number of barriers exist that may result in an inability of higher education institutions to provide quality online education programming in sufficient scale to meet the expected student demand. The Managing Online Education report () identifies the resistance of faculty towards teaching in an online environment as foremost among ten factors that “impede institutional efforts to expand online education programs” (p. 1). An understanding of the factors that both motivate and discourage faculty member participation in online education programs is critical if institutions are to leverage their existing faculty to meet the current and future demand for online education. This case study first presents a number of motivating and inhibiting factors and then discusses how St. Bonaventure University leveraged these factors in an attempt to boost faculty participation in online education.

Faculty Participation in Online Higher Education

2014 ◽  
pp. 61-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Participation ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Higher Education ◽  
Student Demand ◽  
Education Report

In the past decade, enrollments in distance education, and specifically online education, have grown dramatically in the United States. According to the 2009 Sloan Report (Allen & Seaman, 2010), enrollments in online courses increased from 9.6% of total postsecondary enrollments in 2002 to 25.3% in 2009. Unfortunately, a number of barriers exist that may result in an inability of higher education institutions to provide quality online education programming in sufficient scale to meet the expected student demand. The Managing Online Education report (Green, 2010) identifies the resistance of faculty towards teaching in an online environment as foremost among ten factors that “impede institutional efforts to expand online education programs” (p. 1). An understanding of the factors that both motivate and discourage faculty member participation in online education programs is critical if institutions are to leverage their existing faculty to meet the current and future demand for online education. This case study first presents a number of motivating and inhibiting factors and then discusses how St. Bonaventure University leveraged these factors in an attempt to boost faculty participation in online education.

Flying SOLO for Student Success

2015 ◽  
pp. 244-265
Author(s):  
Regina L. Garza Mitchell ◽  
Gina L. Cano-Monreal
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Technical College ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Student Preparedness ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Global Workforce

This chapter describes how one innovative practice evolved to become an integral part of the college's efforts to increase student preparedness and success in courses so that they will be employable and competitive in the global workforce. Texas State Technical College Harlingen aimed to enhance student success in online education through implementing a mandatory class, Student Online Learning Orientation, for new online students. The course was developed as the result of faculty research and recommendations regarding online learning at the college. The majority of students at the college are underprepared and from low socioeconomic backgrounds, putting them at a disadvantage in taking these courses. Rather than a barrier to taking online classes, the goal of this class is to provide students with the necessary tools and skills to be successful. Results of the program show an increase in persistence and completion of online courses, and the course has become an integral part of the college's training and first-year experience for all students.

scholarly journals Evaluating Quality in Fully Online U.S. University Courses: A Comparison of University of Maryland University College and Troy University

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan C. Aldridge ◽  
Mark L. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
State Universities ◽  
Online Course ◽  
University Of Maryland ◽  
Online Higher Education ◽  
University College ◽  
Periodic Evaluation ◽  
Student Discussion

A key component of quality assurance in online higher education is the periodic evaluation of fully online courses, by both internal and external reviewers, against standards developed by the offering institution. These standards can address a variety of quality areas including but not limited to: the organization and structure of the online course; the extent to which technology is used to foster learning and student engagement; and the use of available communication features to stimulate student discussion and interaction. In this paper the online evaluation processes and criteria of the two largest U.S. state universities involved in online education – University of Maryland University College and Troy University – are compared. It will be shown that the two institutions arrived independently at very similar quality standards for online courses, and that these standards are congruent with those developed and promulgated by nationwide higher education accreditation agencies in the U.S.

scholarly journals Developing and teaching of a world-class online project management curriculum

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Stephen A Leybourne ◽  
Vijay Kanabar ◽  
Roger D.H. Warburton
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
Faculty Time

  The evolution of the internet and collaboration tools have made it possible to enhance the range of online education, and make it universally accessible and eminently affordable. Around 2000, the faculty at Boston University’s Metropolitan College proposed an online master’s degree in project management, using the emerging learning management systems. The program grew quickly from 40 to 200 students, and was one of the first in the United States to be accredited by the Project Management Institute’s Global Accreditation Committee. This academic model has now been extended to other disciplines and programs.It was expected from the outset that the BU online and classroom academic experiences would be completely equivalent. This presented several challenges, the first of which was developing online equivalents for the face-to-face pedagogical course components. Second, writing online courses, recording videos and developing innovative discussion topics is time-consuming, and we quickly realised that only fulltime faculty had the commitment and motivation to devote the required effort to produce quality courses. Finally, the technological resources associated with course development and course operation required significant investment, beyond the faculty time, currently estimated at around $60,000 per course.We surveyed our students and alumni every two years and now have enough data to describe accurately the evolution in attitudes to online education.As one of the earlier and premier adopters of a rigorous academic online education model, BU has a vested interest to contribute to the growing debate about the academic quality and rigour of online education, the application of high pedagogical standards, and the innovative use of online teaching frameworks and tools. This paper will address and document these issues and assist in raising awareness of emerging “best practice” in the online education domain. 

4. The Autopsy of Quality in Online Higher Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-93
Author(s):  
Matthew M. Acevedo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Quality Matters ◽  
Online Higher Education ◽  
Digital Nature

Abstract The purpose of this essay is to critically and philosophically explore the role of and impetus for quality assurance regimes in online education and their most salient manifestation, the Quality Matters program. The author argues that online courses are particularly vulnerable to autopsic quality examinations under neoliberal rationality as a result of their corporeal, digital nature. This essay will also consider the implications for faculty and others who must abide by and perform quality in online higher education and will consider ways in which those facing the incursion of quality assurance in online education can resist its threats and coercions, leveraging the promise of the liberatory aspects of distance education.

Flying SOLO for Student Success

2016 ◽  
pp. 2025-2046
Author(s):  
Regina L. Garza Mitchell ◽  
Gina L. Cano-Monreal
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Technical College ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Student Preparedness ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Global Workforce

This chapter describes how one innovative practice evolved to become an integral part of the college's efforts to increase student preparedness and success in courses so that they will be employable and competitive in the global workforce. Texas State Technical College Harlingen aimed to enhance student success in online education through implementing a mandatory class, Student Online Learning Orientation, for new online students. The course was developed as the result of faculty research and recommendations regarding online learning at the college. The majority of students at the college are underprepared and from low socioeconomic backgrounds, putting them at a disadvantage in taking these courses. Rather than a barrier to taking online classes, the goal of this class is to provide students with the necessary tools and skills to be successful. Results of the program show an increase in persistence and completion of online courses, and the course has become an integral part of the college's training and first-year experience for all students.

A MODEL FOR DEVELOPING HIGH-QUALITY ONLINE COURSES: INTEGRATING A SYSTEMS APPROACH WITH LEARNING THEORY

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Jean Puzziferro ◽  
Kaye Shelton
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Process Models ◽  
State University ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Colorado State University ◽  
Online Instructional Design ◽  
Online Course Development

As the demand for online education continues to increase, institutions are faced with developing process models for efficient, high-quality online course development. This paper describes a systems, team-based, approach that centers on an online instructional design theory (Active Mastery Learning) implemented at Colorado State University-Global Campus.

scholarly journals A guide for evaluation of online learning in medical education: a qualitative reflective analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nourhan F. Wasfy ◽  
Enjy Abouzeid ◽  
Asmaa Abdel Nasser ◽  
Samar A. Ahmed ◽  
Ilham Youssry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Organizational Capacity ◽  
Expert Consensus ◽  
Educational Effectiveness ◽  
Education Community ◽  
Rapid Shift

Abstract Background With the strike of Covid-19, an unprecedented rapid shift to remote learning happened worldwide with a paradigm shift to online learning from an institutional adjuvant luxury package and learner choice into a forced solo choice. This raises the question of quality assurance. While some groups have already established standards for online courses, teaching and programs yet very little information is included on methodology of their development and very little emphasis is placed on the online learning experience. Nevertheless, no work has been done specifically for medical education institutions. Aim To develop a set of descriptors for best practice in online learning in medical education utilizing existing expertise and needs. Methods This work utilizes a qualitative multistage approach to identify the descriptors of best practice in online learning starting with a question guided focus group, thematic analysis, Delphi technique and an expert consensus session done simultaneously for triangulation. This was done involving 32 institution in 19 countries. Results This materialized into the development of a set of standards, indicators, and development of a checklist for each standard area. The standard areas identified were organizational capacity, educational effectiveness, and human resources each of which listed a number of standards. Expert consensus sessions identified the need for qualification of data and thus the development of indicators for best practice. Conclusion Standards are needed for online learning experience and their development and redesign is situational and needs to be enhanced methodologically in axes that are pertaining to the needs of the education community. Taking such axes into consideration by educators and institutions will lead to planning and implementing successful online learning activities, while taking them into consideration by the evaluators will help them conduct comprehensive audits and provide stakeholders with highly informative evaluation reports.

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