Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics
Introduction
What makes a learner successful in an online environment? What creates barriers or challenges? Answers to these questions, among others, gain increasing importance as Internet technologies become more readily available and accessible, in formal and informal contexts (Hofmann, 2002). By the year 1997, there were more than 762 institutions in the United States alone that offered courses at a distance (Gubernick and Ebeling, 1997, as cited in Cereijo, Young, & Wilhelm, 1999). The Making the Virtual Classroom a Reality (MVCR) online program at the University of Illinois alone had admitted over 1000 individuals from various states and foreign countries by December 2002 (Santovec, 2003). Some of the top institutions in the United States (e.g., MIT, Indiana University, Pennsylvania State University) are offering entire degree programs online, ranging from business to education, criminal justice to nursing.
In addition to programs and courses, most universities now require access to basic course information online (Leonard & Guha, 2001). This includes information such as the syllabus, resource lists, and office hours for the instructor. At University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), for example, all arts and science courses are required to have course Web sites (Noble, 1998). Even when it is not required, educators are increasingly developing an online presence for their courses via the Internet (Brown, Kirkpatrick, & Wrisley, 2003).
The increasing online access to programs, courses, and course information is exciting. Initial research exploring the potential of online learning has provided some overall insights (e.g., Cereijo et al., 1999, Conrad, 2002, Hartley & Bendixen, 2001, Hill, 2002). For example, some sources indicate that online learning enables institutions and/or instructors to reach new learners at a distance, increases convenience, and expands educational opportunities Bourne et al., 1997, Hara & Kling, 1999, Hara & Kling, 2001, Hill, 2002, Hofmann, 2002, Owston, 1997, Rourke, 2001, Schrum, 2000.
Yet, the movement toward online learning is not grounded in compelling empirical evidence that it is effective and/or beneficial for learning (Hannafin, Hill, Oliver, Glazer, & Sharma, 2003). Many of the studies in online learning remain rather “anecdotal” (Hara & Kling, 1999), coming from the point of view of the faculty member teaching the course or the instructional technologist designing and/or developing the course Berge, 1997, Bourne et al., 1997. While the overall perspectives and faculty-based studies are important for understanding the potential value of online learning, few studies have detailed the learners' perspectives of online learning (Hara & Kling, 1999). There is a need for continuing research studies related to specific areas (e.g., pedagogical strategies to promote learners' online learning experience, the impact of learner characteristics on learner's Web-based learning experience), as well as overall perceptions Cereijo et al., 1999, Hara & Kling, 1999, Hara & Kling, 2001, Hartley & Bendixen, 2001. The constant growth of the Web influences and changes how online courses are designed and implemented. This, in turn, may also change the students' perceptions of their online experience. Continued studies of learners' perspectives of online learning environments are needed in order to build more effective Web-based instruction that can optimize the learning experience within this ever-changing landscape.
The purpose of this paper is to describe a study exploring the learners' perspectives of online learning. Specifically, the researchers sought to explore learners' perceptions of useful and challenging components in learning online. The discussion of the study begins with a review of the literature related to online learning. Next, the background of the research followed by the results of the study is described. Finally, implications and suggestions for further research are presented.
Section snippets
Literature review
The literature related to online learning has expanded considerably in the last 5 years. The review that follows focuses on literature related to the learner's experience, particularly the learners' perspectives of strengths and weaknesses related to online learning.
Research design
The purpose of this study was to investigate the components of the online learning environments that learners recognize as helpful in the learning process and those that learners identify as challenging. Two primary research questions guided this research:
- 1.
What are the components of online learning environments that learners recognize as helpful in the learning process?
- 2.
What are the components of online learning environments that learners identify as challenging?
Results
Results indicate several trends in overall components perceived as useful and challenges that confront learners in online learning contexts. The overall research questions have been used to organize the presentation of the data.
Discussion
This study focused on the learners' perceptions of helpful components and challenges in online learning environments. The components participants identified as helpful in this study are similar to what has been identified in previous research. Instructional design was one of the primary factors identified as helpful for online learning. Instructional designers have devoted decades of research and development to create models and processes to assist with the design and creation of instruction
Conclusion
The current study offers several implications for practice and research. First, there is a need for effective instructional design for online courses. The design should focus not only on the technological aspects of the course, but also on the goals, objectives, and expectations for the learners. Continuing to explore design models that are most effective for online learning will also help facilitate this activity.
Second, there is a need to work with learners to assist them in the development
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