WHO IS THEONLINE STUDENT?

WHO IS THEONLINE STUDENT?

Barbara Truman-DavisDirector, Course Development & Web Services

Dale VoorheesCoordinator, Course Development

Barbara Truman-DavisDirector, Course Development & Web Services

Dale VoorheesCoordinator, Course Development

The University of Central FloridaThe University of Central Florida

The University of Central FloridaThe University of

Central Florida

Scope of UCF’s Online ProgramScope of UCF’s Online Program

• Half (500) of all full-time faculty engaged

• Half (250) of these trained through IDL6543

• 1,000+ WebCT courses

• 800+ courses built with production support

• Six fully online programs, three graduate certificates

Current Online DegreesCurrent Online Degrees

• B.A. and B.S. in Liberal Studies• B.S. in Voc. Ed. and Industry Training• R.N. to B.S.N. Nursing• A.A.-A.S. to B.S. in Health Services

Administration• M.A. and M.S. in Vocational Education• M.A. in Educational Media• M.S. in Forensic Science (partially online)

Institutional Support for Distributed Learning

Institutional Support for Distributed Learning

• Course Development & Web Services: dedicated to online class support

• Center for Distributed Learning– marketing– long-range planning– registration– faculty training

• Office of Instructional Resources– ITV network

Web-based courses: Delivered entirely over the Web, with no regular class meetings

Mixed-mode courses: Delivered partially in classroom and partially over the Web (“reduced seat time”)

Enhanced courses: Web presence

UCF Online Delivery ModelsUCF Online Delivery Models

Online Sections(All Modes)

Online Sections(All Modes)

020406080

100120140160180200

Online Students(All Modes)

Online Students(All Modes)

0100020003000400050006000700080009000

10000

• Internet tools

• Browser test

• Tutorials

• Assessment

• UCF information

• Connection tocampus network

Student Support CD-ROMStudent Support CD-ROM

Distributed LearningImpact Assessment

Distributed LearningImpact Assessment

Learning styles

Success ratesAttitudes

DemographicsWithdrawal rates

Strategies forsuccess

Students

Critical thinking

Effective instructional tools

Quasi-experiments

Faculty

Accreditation

Real time surveys

Assessment techniques

Personal theorizing

What We Have Found Regarding Online Students

What We Have Found Regarding Online Students

• The majority of students enrolled in fully online (W) courses are also enrolled in F2F courses

• The distribution of students by ethnicity is approximately the same for all modalities

• Fully online (W) courses consistently have more females than other modalities

• On the average, students enrolled in W courses are oldest, followed by those in M sections then face-to-face

Success Rates of Fully Online and Mixed-mode Courses From Fall 1997 Through Spring 2000Success Rates of Fully Online and Mixed-mode Courses From Fall 1997 Through Spring 2000

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

Fall 97

Spr 98

Sum98

Fall98

Spr99

Sum99

Fully online

Mixed-mode

Face-to-face

Fall99

Spr00

86 87

81

88

92

86

89

9694

83

88

83

88 8987 87

8891

94

83

89

82

87

83

Total N=52,218 students

Withdrawal Rates of Fully Online and Mixed-mode Courses From Fall 1997 Through Spring 2000

Withdrawal Rates of Fully Online and Mixed-mode Courses From Fall 1997 Through Spring 2000

0

10

20

30

40

50

Fully online

Mixed-mode

Face-to-face

Fall 97

Spr 98

Sum98

Fall98

Spr99

Sum99

Fall99

Spr00

85 5 6 4 4 5

12

745 6

4 4 5 32

84 4

85 5

Total N=52,218 students

Percentage of Undergraduate and Graduate Students in Online Courses -- Spring ‘99

Percentage of Undergraduate and Graduate Students in Online Courses -- Spring ‘99

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

9079%

72%

21% 18%

GraduateUndergraduate

Fully online (n=1,148)

Mixed-mode (n=2,283)

Gender of Students Enrolled Differing Modalities and UCF Overall -- Spring ‘99

Gender of Students Enrolled Differing Modalities and UCF Overall -- Spring ‘99

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

FemalesMales

Mixed-mode

sectionsN=2,283

Fullyonline

sectionsN=1,148

Face-to-facesectionsN=4,743

57%

43%

73%

27%

56%

44%

55%

45%

UCFoverall

N=30,009

Student Ages -- Spring ‘99Student Ages -- Spring ‘99

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

10th25th50th75th90th

Face-to-faceN=4,743

Media-enhancedN=2,283

Fully-onlineN=1,148

Mean=24SD=6.9

Mean=26SD=8.4

Mean=30SD=9.3

Percentiles

Age

Type of class

Employment StatusReported by StudentsEmployment Status

Reported by Students

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

51%

33%

16%

Full time Part time Do not work

42%37%

21%

Fully online (n=341)

Mixed-mode (n=181)

Reported Location ofStudent Computers

Reported Location ofStudent Computers

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

10088%

22% 20%

6%

At home At campus At job Other

81%

51%

13% 3%

Fully online (n=341)

Mixed-mode (n=181)

Drive Time to UCF CampusReported by Students

Drive Time to UCF CampusReported by Students

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

24%

17%

31%

17%

11%

<15 15-30 31-60 61-90 90+

Minutes

24%21%

35%

16%

2%

Fully online (n=341)

Media-enhanced (n=181)

Reasons Given by Students for Enrolling in Fully Online and Mixed-Mode Courses

Reasons Given by Students for Enrolling in Fully Online and Mixed-Mode Courses

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

9079%

44%

22% 19% 19% 20%

Conve

nien

ce

Try it

Instr

ucto

r

Sche

dule

conf

licts

Only

avail

able

Other

20%16% 14%

43%34%

Fully online (n=341)

Mixed-mode (n=181)

Reported Student SatisfactionWith Online Courses

Reported Student SatisfactionWith Online Courses

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

3% 5% 7%

31%

54%

Veryunsatisfied

Unsatisfied Neutral Satisfied Verysatisfied

3%7%

12%

43%

34%

Fully online (n=341)

Mixed-mode (n=181)

Student Attitudes Toward Taking Another Online Course

Spring ‘99 (N=341)

Student Attitudes Toward Taking Another Online Course

Spring ‘99 (N=341)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2% 4% 5%

19%

Definitelynot

Probablynot

Not sure Probably Definitely

2% 4%8%

43%

70%

43%

Fully online (n=341)

Media-enhanced (n=181)

The Transition of Student Affect Regarding Online Courses

The Transition of Student Affect Regarding Online Courses

• UCF is responding to my needs

• I am more active in my learning

• I feel personally empowered

• My learning is more convenient

• My learning is self-paced

…then (1998) …and now (2000)

Advice Students Would Give to Others Considering an Online Course

Advice Students Would Give to Others Considering an Online Course

• Keep up and don’t procrastinate• Attend the orientation• Be disciplined• Develop your computer skills• Ask for help• Keep in touch with the professor• Check the forum daily

A Summary of LongBehavior Types

A Summary of LongBehavior Types

• Aggressive Independent– high energy– action-oriented– not concerned with approval– speaks out freely– gets into confrontational

situations• Passive Independent

– low energy– not concerned with approval– prefers to work alone– resists pressure from

authority

• Aggressive Dependent– high energy– action-oriented– concerned with approval– rarely expresses negative

feelings– performs at or above ability

• Passive Dependent– low energy– concerned with approval– highly sensitive to the feelings

of others– very compliant

Distribution of Long Types andTraits for Online Students

Distribution of Long Types andTraits for Online Students

AI23%

PI17%

AD53%

PD7%

40%

73%

21%

33%

(n=342)

Distribution of Long Types and Traits for CHM 1020

Distribution of Long Types and Traits for CHM 1020

AI27%

PI18%

AD37%

PD19%

(n=133)

31%

60%

22%

55%

Student Reasons for Withdrawing From Fully Online Courses

Student Reasons for Withdrawing From Fully Online Courses

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Technologyissues

Webstuff

confusing

Personalconflicts

Lack ofclass

organization

Too much work/time

(N=52)25%23% 23%

8% 8% 8%6%

Instructorissues

Other

Student BenefitsCited by Online Faculty

Student BenefitsCited by Online Faculty

• Improved learning flexibility

• Improved student interaction and feedback

• Technology as a learning resource

• Enhanced student responsibility

• Convenience

UCF Distributed Learning Impact Evaluation WebsiteUCF Distributed Learning Impact Evaluation Website

http://reach.ucf.edu/~research

Additional Contacts at the University of Central Florida

Additional Contacts at the University of Central Florida

Chuck Dziuban, Ph.D.University of Central FloridaDistributed Learning Impact EvaluationP.O. Box 161250Orlando, FL 32816-1250dziuban@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu

Patsy D. Moskal, Ed.D.University of Central FloridaDistributed Learning Impact EvaluationP.O. Box 161250Orlando, FL 32816-1250pdmoskal@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu

Steve Sorg, Ph.D.University of Central FloridaCenter for Distributed Learning12424 Research Parkway, Suite 264Orlando, FL 32826sorg@mail.ucf.edu

For information regarding UCF’s Distributed Learning Impact Evaluation:

For information regarding UCF’s institutional approach to distributed learning: