OJDLA

Balancing Technology and Mental Health: A Study of Online Education's Influence on Graduate Student Achievement

Austen Clay — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Universities increasingly integrate online education into their pedagogical practices, utilizing digital tools like video conferencing and discussion boards to enhance learning and foster global collaboration. Research shows that technology influences social interactions and collaborative problem-solving, positively impacting student engagement, satisfaction, and academic performance. However, the debate on online education's benefits and drawbacks continues. Proponents highlight democratized access, flexible schedules, and cost reduction, while critics point to inadequate face-to-face interaction, technical challenges, and perceived lower credibility of online degrees. Despite these drawbacks, advancements in technology are mitigating some concerns. Additionally, mental health significantly affects academic success, but there is limited data on support systems for online students. This study examines the relationship between anxiety levels and academic performance among graduate students in an online counseling program. The findings revealed no significant relationship between anxiety levels and GPAs, challenging previous research and highlighting the complexity of factors affecting student performance in online education. This suggests that other variables, such as time management, support systems, or coping mechanisms, may play a more critical role. Further research is needed to explore these additional factors and develop comprehensive support strategies for online learners.

Keywords: online education, technology, learning communities, mental health, academic performance, anxiety, graduate students

A Strategic Framework for Developing a Master Plan for Online Learning at Your Institution

Austen Clay — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:30:00 -0400

Launching a successful new online learning initiative or expanding existing online learning offerings takes careful planning and preparation. Online learning is an institution-wide endeavor, involving multiple departments, functions, and personnel, many of which require modifications or rethinking to meet the needs of fully online learners. Leaders tasked with heading up institutional online initiatives may be unaware of everything that needs to be done to initiate or examine online learning. This article offers a systematic framework to guide strategic planning that is based upon the unique needs and circumstances of online learning and online learners and the institutions who recruit, educate, and graduate them.

Improving Online Course Design in a Nursing Education Program: A Design Case

Austen Clay — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0400

This is a design case of the development, implementation, and evaluation of an online course for nursing educators at a large southeastern college. The course teaches best practices for organizing online instruction with a focus on the Quality Matters standards. Implementation with a small group of instructors resulted in positive responses that caused the graduate faculty to make the unprecedented unanimous decision to implement a template based on the course’s content and design. Results of the evaluation are covered in detail and a discussion of the benefits and challenges of template use is offered.

Keywords: nursing education; online course design; instructional design; quality matters; higher education

We have no conflicts of interest to disclose. This study did not receive external funding.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to John Smoot. Email: SMOOTJ19@ECU.EDU

Insights for Online Program Administrators from PhD Learners’ Summer Institute Residency Experiences

Austen Clay — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 10:30:00 -0400

The week-long, in-person Summer Institute offers students a unique and enriching experience that greatly influences their educational journey. One of the key benefits is the opportunity for face-to-face interactions, which can be transformative in an era dominated by online learning. Students can engage in real-time discussions, forge meaningful connections with peers and instructors, and immerse themselves in a dynamic learning environment. However, this format also presents some challenges. The intense nature of the institute can be physically and mentally demanding, and students may struggle to balance it with their other commitments. Additionally, some students might face geographical or financial barriers that limit their participation. Despite these challenges, the impact of summer institutes is profound. They provide a chance for students to deepen their understanding of the subject matter, develop essential skills, and gain valuable insights from experts in the field. Moreover, camaraderie and networking opportunities can enhance their academic and professional development. This experience highlights the importance of integrating in-person components into predominantly online programs. It underscores the role of human connection in education, which can positively influence student motivation, engagement, and retention. Specifically, the Summer Institute program is for online doctoral students who often feel disconnected, especially through the dissertation process (Melián et al., 2023). Many of the students are older, working students who have consistently succeeded in graduate-level coursework. As universities and institutions adapt to evolving educational landscapes, the lessons learned from these summer institutes can inform more effective strategies for student support and engagement by distance learning administrators.

Keywords: Distance Student Engagement, Summer Institute, Thematic Analysis

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