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Online graduate students' perceived level of institutional support was explored in relation to student satisfaction and importance. Graduate students, either previously or currently enrolled in at least one online course at a large state university in the Southwestern United States. Confirmatory factor analysis supported construct validity for the survey instrument and Bayesian path analysis established associations and relationships between study variables. Study findings revealed that the participants considered instructional services and academic services the most important areas of institutional support. Findings support a positive relationship between institutional support and satisfaction and a positive relationship between institutional support and importance. Gap analysis indicated areas in which increased student support could benefit online graduate learners.
Best Practices in Online Program Development is a practical, hands-on guide that provides the concrete strategies that academic and administrative departments within institutions of higher learning need to develop in order to create and maintain coherent and effective online educational programs. Unlike individual courses, an online education program requires a comprehensive, inter-departmental effort to be integrated into the ongoing educational project of a college or university. This book focuses on the: Integration of online education into the institutional mission Complex faculty-related issues including recruiting, training, and teaching Multifaceted support required for student retention and success Need for multilayered assessment at the course, program, technical, and institutional levels Challenges posed to governance and by the need to garner resources across the institution Model to insure ongoing, comprehensive development of online educational programs Best Practices in Online Program Development covers the above topics and more, giving all the stakeholders in online educational programs the building blocks to foster successful programs while encouraging them to determine what role online education should play in their academic offerings.
This book is to explores a variety of facets of online learning environments to understand how learning occurs and succeeds in digital contexts and what teaching strategies and technologies are most suited to this format. Business, health, government and education are some of the core sectors of society which have been experiencing deep transformations due to a generalized digitalization. While these changes are not novel, the swift progress of technology and the rising complexity of digital environments place a focus on the need for further research and novel strategies. In the context of education, the promise of increased flexibility and broader access to educational resources is impelling much of higher education’s course offerings to online environments. The 21st century learner requires an education that can be pursued anytime and anywhere and that is more aligned with the demands of a digital society. Online education not only assists students to success-fully integrate a workforce that is increasingly digital, but it helps them to become more comfortable with the use of technology in general and, hence, more prepared to be prolific digital citizens. The variety of settings portrayed in this volume attest to the unlimited opportunities afforded by online learning and serve as valuable evidence of its benefit for students’ educational experience. Moreover, these research efforts assist a more comprehensive reflection about the delivery of higher education in the context of online settings.
Online education is no longer a peripheral phenomenon in higher education: over one-third of faculty have taught or developed an online course. As institutions of higher education expand their online education offerings, administrators need to recognize that supporting faculty through the use of incentives and through effective faculty development programs for online instruction is important to the improvement of the quality of educational programs. This quantitative study used an online survey to investigate the types and frequency of incentives and faculty development programs for online instruction at institutions with an established teaching and learning development unit (TLDU), as well as the relationship between these incentives and programs and the number of TLDU staff, the current percentage of online courses, and current and planned growth in online education.^About half of the responding institutions offered incentives for designing an online course; financial and tenure and promotion incentives were the most common. Incentives were offered less frequently for teaching an online course and more frequently for longer faculty development programs. The average TLDU offered about fifteen different types of faculty development programs, the most common being websites, technical services, printed materials, and consultation with instructional design experts. The study found that an institution's financial support for course downloads and technology incentives for designing an online course and participating in professional development was positively correlated with the number of FTE TLDU staff; there was an inverse relationship with the prevalence of formal peer mentoring programs.^However, the strongest relationships were with the increase in current percentage of online courses offered by the institution and the corresponding increases in the frequency, variety, and extent of resources used to offer incentives and faculty development programs for online instruction. Current and planned growth had a much weaker relationship. Results were analyzed using L. Dee Fink's multidimensional model of institutional effectiveness.
Drawing on the South African case, this book looks at shifts in higher education around the world in the last two decades. In South Africa, calls for transformation have been heard in the university since the last days of apartheid. Similar claims for quality higher education to be made available to all have been made across the African continent. In spite of this, inequalities remain and many would argue that these have been exacerbated during the Covid pandemic. Understanding Higher Education responds to these calls by arguing for a social account of teaching and learning by contesting dominant understandings of students as decontextualised learners premised on the idea that the university is a meritocracy. This book tackles the issue of teaching and learning by looking both within and beyond the classroom. It looks at how higher education policies emerged from the notion of the knowledge economy in the newly democratic South Africa, and how national qualification frameworks and other processes brought the country more closely into conversation with the global order. The effects of this on staffing and curriculum structures are considered alongside a proposition for alternative ways of understanding the role of higher education in society.
Online Distance Education: Towards a Research Agenda offers a systematic overview of the major issues, trends, and areas of priority in online distance education research. In each chapter, an international expert or team of experts provides an overview of one timely issue in online distance education, summarizing major research on the topic, discussing theoretical insights that guide the research, posing questions and directions for future research, and discussing the implications for distance education practice as a whole. Intended as a primary reference and guide for distance educators, researchers, and policymakers, Online Distance Education addresses aspects of distance education practice that have often been marginalized, including issues of cost and economics, concerns surrounding social justice, cultural bias, the need for faculty professional development, and the management and growth of learner communities. At once soundly empirical and thoughtfully reflective, yet also forward-looking and open to new approaches to online and distance teaching, this text is a solid resource for researchers in a rapidly expanding discipline.
Why higher education in the United States has lost its way, and how universities and colleges can focus sharply on their core mission. For The Real World of College, Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner analyzed in-depth interviews with more than 2,000 students, alumni, faculty, administrators, parents, trustees, and others, which were conducted at ten institutions ranging from highly selective liberal arts colleges to less-selective state schools. What they found challenged characterizations in the media: students are not preoccupied by political correctness, free speech, or even the cost of college. They are most concerned about their GPA and their resumes; they see jobs and earning potential as more important than learning. Many say they face mental health challenges, fear that they don’t belong, and feel a deep sense of alienation. Given this daily reality for students, has higher education lost its way? Fischman and Gardner contend that US universities and colleges must focus sharply on their core educational mission. Fischman and Gardner, both recognized authorities on education and learning, argue that higher education in the United States has lost sight of its principal reason for existing: not vocational training, not the provision of campus amenities, but to increase what Fischman and Gardner call “higher education capital”—to help students think well and broadly, express themselves clearly, explore new areas, and be open to possible transformations. Fischman and Gardner offer cogent recommendations for how every college can become a community of learners who are open to change as thinkers, citizens, and human beings.
Supporting Online Students shows how effective and efficiently delivered support services improve academic success and course retention for online learners. Drawing on a decade's worth of research, Anita Crawley describes the scope of services from admissions and registration to advising and student engagement. The book includes guidelines and standards, planning and implementation, innovative practices, and describes specialized services needed by particular online student groups. "Effective student support is the single most important factor in sustaining high-quality online learning programs. Anita Crawley presents the most effective guide to achieving that success. Her book is a blueprint for building thriving online programs through comprehensive student support." Ray Schroeder, director, Center for Online Learning, Research and Service, University of Illinois Springfield "As distance learning continues to grow, this book addresses the often neglected other side of the coin: online student services. This book provides a great introduction and overview of the research, literature, and innovative practices for planning, implementing, and evaluating support services for online learners." George Steele, director, eStudent Services, OhioLearns "Anita Crawley has crafted a splendid volume on a topic of increasing importance in contemporary higher education. Her book promises to be the foundational piece for those who work with students in an online environment. Her thinking and analysis are superb and undoubtedly will provide the basis upon which to develop online programs and services in the future." John H. Schuh, Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Emeritus, Iowa State University "Bringing together extensive examples of innovative practices, summaries of current research, and a wealth of experience in student services, Anita Crawley's comprehensive guide to supporting online students is a rich resource for institutions with existing, growing, or new online programs. Diane J. Goldsmith, former executive director, Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium
As the number of adjunct faculty teaching online courses remotely for their institutions continues to increase, so do the unique challenges they face, including issues of distance and isolation as well as problems pertaining to motivation, time, and compensation. Not only are these higher education faculty geographically isolated from each other and their colleagues at flagship campuses, but they also lack adequate institutional support and resources necessary to perform their roles. As institutions continue to rely heavily on this group of under-supported and undertrained instructors who teach the majority of online courses offered across the country, institutions need models and strategies to tap the expertise and perspectives of this group not only to improve teaching and learning in online programs but also to retain this critical talent pool. More consideration is needed to create institutional affinity and organizational commitment, build community, and create opportunities for remote adjunct faculty to be included as an integral component to their academic departments. The Handbook of Research on Inclusive Development for Remote Adjunct Faculty in Higher Education is a comprehensive reference work that presents research, theoretical frameworks, instructor perspectives, and program models that highlight effective strategies, innovative approaches, and unique considerations for creating professional development opportunities for remote adjunct faculty teaching online. This book provides concrete practices that foster inclusivity among contingent faculty teaching online as well as tangible practices that have been successfully implemented from faculty developers and academic leaders at institutions who have a large population of, and heavy reliance on, remote adjunct instructors. While addressing topics that include faculty engagement, mentoring programs, and instructor resources, this book intends to support remote instructors in the post-pandemic world. It is also beneficial for faculty development professionals; academic administrative leaders; higher education stakeholders; and higher education faculty, researchers, and students.