Exploring Exploring Community College Student Community College Student

Perceptions of Online Learning: Perceptions of Online Learning: Community of InquiryCommunity of Inquiry

Terry Ann Morris, Ed.D.Associate Professor

Harper Collegetmorris@harpercollege.edu

Instructional Technology CouncilITC Webinar

March 15, 2011

Need for the StudyNeed for the Study

• Continued growth in higher education online enrollments (Allen & Seaman, 2008)

• Lower course completion rates for community college online students than for classroom students. (Instructional Technology Council, 2008; Conklin, 2008)

• Online student lower completion needs to be addressed to promote student success

• Qualitative study:– Explore community college student

perceptions about online learning

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Research QuestionsResearch QuestionsHow do community college students in an online course perceive and describe their educational experience in terms of:

•social presence?

•teaching presence?

•cognitive presence?

•course satisfaction?

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Theoretical FrameworkTheoretical Framework

Image Source: http://communitiesofinquiry.com/model

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The Community of Inquiry Framework – Social Presence– Teaching Presence– Cognitive Presence(Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000)

“The fusion of the three elements … provides an educational environment conducive to the collaborative construction of knowledge – “knowledge in action” (Redmond & Lock, 2006, p. 271)

Student Success FactorsStudent Success Factors

Six categories of student success factors:– Situational – Dispositional– Institutional– Technological– Social– Pedagogical

(Aragon & Johnson, 2008; Cross, 1992; Finnegan et al., 2008; Herbert, 2006; Holder, 2007; Liu et al, 2007; Menchaca & Bekele, 2008; McGivney, 2009; Morris et al., 2005; Muilenberg & Berge, 2005; Nash, 2005; Puzziferro, 2008; Rinear, 2003; Tello, 2007; Welsh, 2008).

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Research MethodologyResearch Methodology“Qualitative research seeks to understand the world from the

perspective of those living in it” (Hatch, 2002, p. 7)

• Qualitative Phenomenological Approach– Setting: A large suburban community college in the Midwest

– Purposeful Sampling• 144 potential questionnaire participants• Online students in liberal arts, social science, information technology

– Procedure• Open-ended Online Questionnaire, n=25, 17% Response Rate• Open-ended Interviews, n=7• Course Artifact Review• Interpretative Analysis

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Interpretive Data AnalysisInterpretive Data Analysis

• Five Emergent Themes

– communication/interaction (social presence)

– instructor involvement/support (teaching presence)

– instructional design (teaching presence)

– learner engagement with content (cognitive presence)

– learner characteristics/needs (dispositional and situational factors)

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Findings: Questionnaire ParticipantsFindings: Questionnaire Participantso Gender

• 64% Female • 36% Male

o Age• 40% Age 18-24• 24% Age 25-34• 24% Age 34-44• 12% Age 45-54

o Student Status• 48% Full-time• 48% Part-time• 4% Decline to answer

o Course Discipline• 64% Liberal Arts• 20% Social Science• 16% Information Technology

o Degree Objectives• 64% Associate Degree• 16% Decline to Answer• 8% Transfer without a Degree• 12% No Degree Objective

o Online Course Experience• 8% None• 32% One previous course• 28% Two previous courses• 32% Three or more

o Course Login Frequency• 4% Once or twice per week• 52% Three to six times per week• 44% Every day

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Findings: Questionnaire ParticipantsFindings: Questionnaire Participantso Gender

• 64% Female • 36% Male

o Age• 40% Age 18-24• 24% Age 25-34• 24% Age 34-44• 12% Age 45-54

o Student Status• 48% Full-time• 48% Part-time• 4% Decline to answer

o Course Discipline• 64% Liberal Arts• 20% Social Science• 16% Information Technology

o Degree Objectives• 64% Associate Degree• 16% Decline to Answer• 8% Transfer without a Degree• 12% No Degree Objective

o Online Course Experience• 8% None• 32% One previous course• 28% Two previous courses• 32% Three or more

o Course Login Frequency• 4% Once or twice per week• 52% Three to six times per week• 44% Every day

• 100% Expected to successfully complete their online course

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RQ 1: Findings RQ 1: Findings How do community college students in an online course perceive and describe their educational experience in terms of social presence?

– Student perception of social presence (76%)– All the courses in the study provided a discussion board.

• 60% required discussion board participation.• Four courses (80%) provided additional communication opportunities:

virtual classroom, Facebook group, or online chat

– Discussion board participation was a major source of engagement for students.• Most engaged when communicating with other students in the discussion

board (65%)• However: One student specifically registered for a course because it did

not have required discussion board participation.

Social presence was perceived differently by the participants, depending on their own characteristics and needs as learners.

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RQ 1: Student VoicesRQ 1: Student Voices

• Female, Age 45-54, Over three previous online courses Web Development (Discussion Board required)

“I think throughout the course then you develop a camaraderie within the course and you sort of develop a friendship with those students because they seem to reply more frequently to maybe your posts but you try to cover everybody in the class to be inclusive.”

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RQ 1: Student Voices (2)RQ 1: Student Voices (2)

• Male, Age 18-24, No previous online coursesGeography (Discussion Board optional)

“I mean there are a couple of us who respond more than others, so just knowing that there’s other people who are looking to respond is something cool. I feel like it helps me connect to the material more. I definitely makes me enjoy it a little more. I’ve always been a person who’s just enjoyed social interaction. So, interacting with other people on topics that we have is kind of interesting.“

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RQ 1: Student Voices (3)RQ 1: Student Voices (3)• Female, Age 35-44, One previous online course

Philosophy (Discussion Board required)

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“Definitely interactions with the other students. I mean the reading is very important, but on its own it would not be nearly as valuable. You learn a lot more and the interaction with other students also solidifies things. You may say, oh, wait, was that in the reading, you know, ‘cause it’s a lot to read. The teacher suggests that you do go back and re-read, that it takes more than once for this type of reading. But, definitely, the interaction is huge.”

RQ 2: Findings RQ 2: Findings How do community college students in an online course perceive and describe their educational experience in terms of teaching presence?

– Student perception of teaching presence (92%)

– 64% described an action taken by their instructor as the most affirming or helpful action taken during the online course

– The instructional design varied in use of discussions, tests, and assignments.

– 24% attributed success to aspects of instructional design, such as clear expectations and an easy-to-follow course structure. Issue: Facebook was not well-utilized by social science students due to lack of clear purpose.

– 32% Noted the helpfulness of early non-graded feedback review games, practice quizzes, instructor draft review, peer draft review

Teaching presence in the form of instructional design or instructor involvement/support was perceived differently by the participants,

depending on their own characteristics and needs as learners.14

RQ 2: Student VoicesRQ 2: Student Voices

• Female, Age 18-24,Four or more previousonline courses Web Development

Most helpful or affirming action: Instructor Involvement

Survey Response: “Teacher involvement in keeping in contact with students through e-mail: sending reminders, posting things up on Blackboard, and making sure that students know that the teacher is there to help.”

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RQ 2: Student Voices (2)RQ 2: Student Voices (2)

• Male, Age 35-44, Two previous online coursesGeography

Most beneficial aspect of the course: Instructor notes and course organization“The instructor’s notes. The instructor’s notes and his setup on Blackboard is beyond thorough. He’s so detailed and incredibly thorough…”

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RQ 2: Student Voices (3)RQ 2: Student Voices (3)• Female, Age 35-44, Two previous online courses

PhilosophyMost helpful or affirming action: Instructor Review of Draft Survey Response: “The teacher’s offer to receive draft versions of our paper and return with comments to have a better final version. This was great.”

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“... But I think it’s really beneficial to be able to get that feedback, especially if you’re a little off the mark. Or, if you’re on the mark the positive feedback is certainly can be just as valuable.

... really the point of the courses isn’t just to get a grade, it’s to understand. It’s to be thought-provoking. It’s to learn. And I think that that really is a model that encourages not whipping through a paper to get the grade. It’s to help make sure that the student is really understanding and really thinking. You know, really, that’s one biggest parts of philosophy, thinking.”

RQ 3: FindingsRQ 3: Findings

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How do community college students in an online course perceive and describe their educational experience in terms of cognitive presence?

– Student perception of cognitive presence (68%)

– Most beneficial course activities:• discussion board participation (28%)• practice quizzes (28%)• reading instructor notes (28%)• completing lab activities (14%)

– 86% of interview participants indicated that they learned more through independent study than from the instructor or from other students.

– Engagement with content while preparing to post or reply on the discussion board.

– Cognitive presence was perceived differently by participants, depending on their own characteristics and needs as learners.

RQ 3: Student VoicesRQ 3: Student Voices•Male, Age 18-24No previous online coursesGeography

Engaged in independent learning:

“The fact that I’m learning the material for the first time as an independent. It’s very self-fulfilling being able to study on an online course and enjoy the material without someone lecturing.”

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RQ 3: Student Voices (2)RQ 3: Student Voices (2)

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• Female, Age 35-44, Two previous online courses PhilosophySurvey Response: “I knew the course would be thought-provoking, it’s turned out to be more exciting and rewarding than anticipated. … The work isn’t difficult, it just requires time for reading and for reflection and for consideration to answer one of the discussion boards.”

“Although on the one hand it would be neat to be engaged in real time discussion, I do really like that you can read somebody’s posting and go back and re-read it. And then you see somebody’s response and you can go back and re-read the initial one. You really get a full sense, a concrete sense, especially after you think about things or read additional material, you’d say, oh, wow, wait, somebody said something about that – you can go back to it and I do find a lot of value in that. ”

RQ 4: FindingsRQ 4: FindingsHow do community college students in an online course perceive and describe their educational experience in terms of course satisfaction?

– Satisfied with their online course experience (80%)– All expected to successfully complete their online course.– Reasons for satisfaction and dissatisfaction varied:

• Individual Learner Characteristics (28%) self-efficacy, enjoyment of learning, self-improvement, convenience, and meeting expectations.

• Instructional design was indicated both as positively (20%) and negatively (8%) influencing course satisfaction.

• Communication/interaction (12%) and instructor involvement/support (12%) also positively contributed to course satisfaction

Satisfaction with the course was perceived differently by the study participants, depending on their own characteristics and needs as learners.

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RQ 4: Student VoicesRQ 4: Student Voices

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• Female, Age 18-24, One previous online courseEnglish Survey Response: “I am satisfied with this course because it helped me improve my writing skills.”

• Male, Age 35-44, No previous online coursesWeb DevelopmentSurvey Response: “So far, I am enjoying it. The instructor’s engagement with us on the discussion boards contributes heavily to my enjoyment.”

• Female, Age 45-54, Over three previous online courses Web DevelopmentSurvey Response: “I am satisfied with the course I am currently enrolled in because of my own self-expectations, goals, and accomplishments.”

• Male, Age 18-24• No previous online courses

Geography

“I’d say it’s gone very well. I feel like everything’s good as-is. He’s got it really well laid out and, as I said, if you want to get to really know the material it’s there for you. I think maybe if there were more discussion board requirements than there is then you’d get more social interaction between the kids in the class.”

RQ 4: Student Voices (2)RQ 4: Student Voices (2)

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LimitationsLimitations

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• Due to the design of the qualitative study the number of participants was small

• Participants Characteristics:– 100% of the participants

expected successful completion of the online course

– Most participants were experienced online learners

• Due to student privacy issues there was no verification that student success goals were met.

ConclusionsConclusions

Perceived as beneficial to online community college students: – Regular interaction and communication – Prompt and helpful instructor support and response– Clearly written and well-organized course materials– Non-graded formative assessment – Opportunities for collaborative work including peer review– Technology use tied to learning outcomes– Variety of course activities and materials to support varied

learning preferences and individual needs

Dispositional and situational factors play a role in the satisfaction and success of online students.

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Recommendations for Recommendations for Practice and Future ResearchPractice and Future Research

• Design online courses with a variety of learning activities to provide for individual learner characteristics, preferences, and goals, including:– mandatory discussion board participation– formative assessments– collaborative peer review

• When choosing to incorporate new technologies, purposefully utilize activities which support learning outcomes and are of perceivable benefit to students .

• Place a priority on providing prompt, supportive responses to online students.

• Further research in this area may explore larger populations or utilized mixed methods. 26

Questions orQuestions orComments?Comments?

Contact Information:Dr. Terry Ann Morris

tmorris@harpercollege.eduhttp://terrymorris.net

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teaching practices. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.Morris, L.V., Finnegan, C., & Wu, S. (2005). Tracking student behavior, persistence, and achievement in online course. The Internet and Higher Education. 8(3), 221-231.Muilenburg, L. Y., & Berge, Z. L. (2005). Student barriers to online learning: A factor analytic study. Distance Education, 26(1), 29-48. Puzziferro, M. (2008). Online technologies self-efficacy and self-regulated learning as predictors of final grade and satisfaction in college-level online courses. The American

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