OJDLA

Ten Steps to Quality Assurance in Distance Education

Austen Clay — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 12:00:00 -0400

The increased demand for online courses correlates to increased workloads for faculty, staff, and leadership. Hiring, staffing, and other logistical matters often trump the emphasis on course quality. This paper introduces a strategic framework for creating and sustaining a successful distance education model. Tarrant County College Connect Campus is the provider of online courses and programs within a larger, urban, two-year public institution. Established as a campus in 2014, TCC Connect Campus reflects an intentional framework to ensure quality. Ten specific strategies for quality assurance in online delivery include: Online Instructor Certification, Peer Developed Courses, E-Faculty Coaching, Faculty Performance Indicators, Supplemental Evaluation Feedback Form, adoption of external standards, data dashboards, campus data team, faculty and leadership repositories, and course readiness checklist. These research-based tenets may be adapted and modified to address the needs of other distance education providers.

Keywords: Distance education, online learning, quality assurance, faculty performance, professional development

Online Learner Retention: Literature Review and Creation of Prediction Tool Through Statistical Analysis and Machine Learning Techniques

Austen Clay — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 11:30:00 -0400

Higher education institutions need to be responsible for understanding the characteristics and qualities of learners who decide to take courses with them; online vs. on-campus and what it takes to keep them learning at an institution. Taking heed and modifying structures, communications, and services will help learners and institutions in this ever-increasing online degree market where organizations compete globally for learners. Today, acquiring learners through marketing and recruitment is a large portion of the higher education budget and online learners are retained at rates 10-20% less than face-to-face offerings (Hubert, 2006), making it paramount to the success of our distance and online institutions to figure out how to keep these learners. Knowing who they are and what is important to them, as well as the factors for retention will help us with benchmarks and to devise plans to see these learners through to graduation.

Examining the research and literature available on online learners and retention (key terms such as “online learner population,” “online learner retention,” and “distance learner retention”), and our own statistical analysis of Colorado State University Online learner retention will help us identify the characteristics of a retained population in order to support and advise learners within credit hours and services to support their learning and to help us to know when certain learner populations might need extra support to be retained.

Do We Need All Those Graded Assessments in This Course?

Austen Clay — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0400

Today’s undergraduate students often must balance coursework with other personal and professional commitments. While much attention has been placed on effective strategies for helping students manage workload, curriculum optimization has been largely overlooked. In an analysis of a university lower-level online STEM course, a course redesign reduced student workload, based on student and instructor feedback. Learner outcomes of performance (N=1215) and persistence (N = 1242) were evaluated. Results indicated that grade distributions were significantly different in the reduced workload scenario (p < 0.001). Sections with lower workload had more “A” final course grades (70% for lower workload sections compared to 58% for higher workload sections). Course failures were significantly reduced from 8.3% for higher workload sections to 3.2% for lower workload sections (p < 0.001). Additionally, course withdrawals were reduced from 1% to 0.5% (p < 0.001). Study results highlight the idea that student workload and outcomes are related. An excessive number of student assessments (“deliverables”) can negatively impact student performance and persistence in a course. This finding is particularly important for STEM courses which can also be seen as difficult or “barrier” courses by students. Implications for course developers and administrators include the idea that online courses do not require an excessive amount of student assignments to have academic rigor. Furthermore, assignments should be monitored to ensure they allow for adequate assessment of learning outcomes. Future work exploring workload reduction in various term lengths, disciplines, and modalities is warranted.

Keywords: asynchronous, online, workload, undergraduate

Author Bios

Dr. John Griffith Ph.D., (ORCID ID 0000-0002-6764-7031) is an Associate Professor with over 30 years of teaching and 15 years of educational leadership experience. He has published articles on teaching and learning, as well as education and emergency services leadership. Dr. Griffith currently serves in the Mathematics, Science and Technology Department in the worldwide Campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He also served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force.

Emily Faulconer, Ph.D. (ORCID ID 0000-0002-7392-316X) is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Campus where she teaches chemistry, environmental science, and research methods. She also serves on the Academic Safety Committee, leveraging her expertise as a certified chemical hygiene officer.

Author Note

This study replicates Griffith’s previous research completed in 2023, “Does Removing Quizzes Negatively Impact Mid-term Exam Scores in an Online Course?” The 2023 study used data from a total of 657 students recorded in the November 2022 and January 2023 terms prior to workload reduction and two terms after workload reduction (February and March 2023).

This 2024 replication expanded the data analysis using grades from 1242 students 5 terms prior to coursework reduction (July through November 2022) and 5 terms after course sections with reduced workload were implemented (July-November 2023). Grades from 87 students from the November 2022 term were included in both the 2023 and 2024 studies.

Capturing, Assessing, and Showcasing Work-Ready Qualities in a Comprehensive Learner Record

Austen Clay — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 10:30:00 -0400

University of Central Oklahoma’s (UCO) Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR) leverages the Learning Management System (LMS), rubrics, an online dashboard, transcript services, and badging to assess students’ employability and durable soft-skills. Featured by the Chronicle for Higher Ed, this Comprehensive Learner Record model has helped over 30 U.S. and international institutions learn to innovate forward.

The Impact of Remote Online Proctoring versus No Proctoring: A Study of Graduate Courses

Austen Clay — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 12:00:00 -0400

This quantitative study is designed to determine the impact of online proctoring software in graduate courses. The researchers compared the final grades of two groups of online graduate students who were taught by professors who had online exams before and after the university implemented proctoring software. Essentially the only difference between the groups was the use and nonuse of proctoring software. The overall sample in this study were 426 students in six different online graduate nursing courses at a medium-sized, public university in the United States. The findings showed the implementation of online proctoring software had a statistically significant impact on the students’ course grade when all the graduate courses were regressed together. The authors also regressed the data using independent human capital variables (i.e. male/female, full/part-time status, and cumulative GPA). Student cumulative GPA also proved statistically significant for the group of graduate nursing courses.

Keywords: Online proctoring, proctoring software, distance learning, graduate education, online exam, exam misconduct, online courses, academic dishonesty, academic misconduct

Guiding Undergraduate Researchers in the Virtual World: Mentoring Experiences of Globally Distributed Students

Austen Clay — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 11:30:00 -0400

The advancement of technology has led to an increase in undergraduate students pursuing degrees online. The translation of undergraduate research to the online environment is relatively new, though gaining momentum, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mentoring is a key undergraduate research support, particularly for those engaged online, as it fosters a supportive environment for online students to develop their skills and knowledge in their field of study. This study aims to explore the positive impacts of mentoring undergraduate research for fully online students. A single case study methodology was used, with interview data collected from four research mentees completing their degrees fully online. While this study is exploratory and further research with a larger sample size is necessary, the preliminary findings suggest that virtual mentoring can lead to a stronger sense of belonging, enhanced understanding of research processes, professional development (including career path and transferable skills), and continuous personal growth. These results highlight the importance of providing research mentoring opportunities to online students.

Keywords: Undergraduate research, virtual mentoring, STEM, online learning

Review of India’s UGC guidelines on Online Degree Courses

Austen Clay — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0400

The higher education system of India is one of the largest systems on the globe, where there is a huge young population. The central government aims to increase the higher education gross enrolment ratio, which will improve the living and economic standards of youth. However, enrolment in higher education is lower for many reasons, including the accessibility of institutions in the rural region and the affordability of learning. The institutional capacity cannot be expanded in an accelerated manner with more than three times the existing capacity in a short period of time. As an alternative, the regulation to award degrees and diplomas through online education is formulated with the assurance of recognition on par with regular degrees and diplomas. The regulatory norms, recognition process, human resources, infrastructure requirements, and quality mechanisms of online programs are reviewed in this paper.

Keywords: Online Degree, UGC, AICTE, Learner support services, Technology stack, NDU

Validating Outcome Mapping Using External Benchmarking

Austen Clay — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:30:00 -0400

Curriculum mapping can be used to visualize, align, and assess the ability of online degree program graduates to meet stated learning outcomes (Rawle et al., 2017). Though consensus has yet to be established on standardized outcomes for curriculum in some disciplines (e.g., criminal justice), educators remain in charge of preparing current and future practitioners for success. We know measuring student performance is the norm, but a standardized vision of the outcomes being analyzed has yet to be realized. Regardless of the specific outcomes a degree program prepares students for, it seems reasonable that the outcomes would be measured and evaluated by educators and administrators to improve student performance over time. Unfortunately, no standardized recipe for that success exists, especially as instructional delivery shift to online environments and student demographics change. Some disciplines need more consensus on what qualities (outcomes) are most important for career success.

However, once established, the question remains of adequately assessing those outcomes and driving student performance positively. As administrators, we hope our students achieve measurable outcomes to prepare them for their chosen career fields. The question thus remains: How do we ensure the course curriculum adequately addresses stated program outcomes? Internal assessment tools are often used, but this method may not always be enough. The answer may lie with external benchmarking or a similar form of summative assessment, at least during initial curriculum validation. Regardless of the chosen validation strategy, student achievement against those outcomes should be measured.

Summative assessment has proven helpful in benchmarking student performance against learning objectives, though assessments are often only internal, leaving a need for external validation. While the author agrees that learning objectives should be established, an argument is not made about which objectives are most important for criminal justice majors, as is used in the present study. Instead, this research provides a potential framework for improving student performance in meeting program outcomes using an externally validated benchmarking approach for online adult learners in a criminal justice bachelor’s program. Specifically, this research aims to show how external benchmarking was used to revise course curriculum mapping and improve student outcome achievement in an online undergraduate criminal justice program.

Using Q Methodology for Distance Program Marketing and Recruitment

Austen Clay — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0500

This study explores Q methodology's effectiveness in understanding students' motivations and preferences in a distance doctoral program. Faced with the challenge of effectively revamping the program's website and marketing materials, a Q methodology study was conducted with current and past students. The primary focus was to capture their viewpoints on why they chose to pursue their doctoral program. The findings revealed a diverse range of motivations and preferences, which were then utilized to enhance the program's online presence and marketing strategies. This approach ensured that the program's offerings resonated with a broader spectrum of potential applicants rather than limited perspectives. The study highlights the importance of understanding distance learners' specific needs and motivations. It demonstrates the value of Q methodology as a tool for program development and marketing in the context of distance education. The insights gained are particularly beneficial for our program but suggest that similar studies could benefit other distance learning programs looking to tailor their offerings and marketing strategies to their unique student demographics. The current study serves as a model for using targeted, data-driven approaches to align educational offerings with student needs, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and appeal of distance learning programs.

Keywords: Q Methodology, Distance Program Leadership, Student Recruitment

Strategies for Administrators: Promoting Continual Professional Development for Online Instructors

Austen Clay — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 11:30:00 -0500

Professional development for faculty who teach in the online environment is key to ensuring student success, particularly given the rapid pace at which new technology is continually emerging. However, administrators face numerous challenges in delivering these professional development opportunities, both in terms of securing the resources needed to support the trainings and persuading faculty to participate. To meet these challenges, administrators can draw on innovative strategies to meet the training needs of faculty and incentivize their participation.