Higher Education Administration Commons^™

Establishing A Sense Of Community While Meeting The Needs Of Online Adjunct Instructors, Melissa Weber

Dissertations and Theses

As online adjunct instructors continue to fill an instructional role and meet the needs of online learners, university leaders need to look for ways for professional development to increase online adjunct instructors’ sense of community and meet their diverse needs. The critical problem of this study recognized that online adjunct instructors have different needs than those of on campus faculty; these needs are not being met by traditional means currently used in university settings. Therefore, the overall goal of this qualitative phenomenological study sought to explore how university leaders could establish a sense of community while meeting the professional development …

Start With Trust: Shifting From Pandemic-Centered To Person-Centered Leadership, Jerod Quinn, Tammy Mccoy, Traci Stromie

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

How policies and procedures regarding online learning, faculty coaching, and institutional policy around COVID (and post-COVID) can create more equitable support across the university.

Investing In Our Faculty: Creative Virtual Recognition Ideas For Leadership, Celine S. Hall, Nikki L. Williams

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Faculty are one of our greatest assets. Feeling valued and appreciated by leadership and peers help cultivate feelings of belonging and encourage engagement. In this presentation, we will share ways in which leadership recognizes faculty achievements and provide opportunities for peers to do so as well within an online setting.

More: How To Do More With More In 2022, Harriet E. Watkins, Jacquelyn Cato

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

In 2022 we are dealing with new academic realities. This presentation will investigate current faculty concerns and explore the ways academic coaches assist faculty and put the personal touch in online courses necessary to support and enhance the student experience. Providing the ability to scale and save on instructional costs.

How A Flexible Teaching “Camp” Answered Our Pandemic Teaching Emergency, Patricia Dineen

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty scrambled to move courses online and to master technology tools seemingly overnight. Keeping a focus on course design and teaching techniques became a central challenge for a center for teaching and learning (CTL) in the midst of the emergency move to online and blended learning. This article chronicles one CTL’s design and implementation of a virtual Forward Looking Explorations in Teaching Camp (FLEX Camp) that aimed to address pedagogy and technology simultaneously by immersing faculty in learning experiences. It details the planning process, learning goals, key activities, assessment methods, and lessons learned …

Law School News: Rwu Law Dean Seeking To Build On Culture Of Service, Innovation 12/09/2020, Barry Bridges, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Impact Of Professional Development On Accessibility To Online Courses By Students With Special Needs At A Regional Four-Year Public Institution Of Higher Education In West Texas, Dallas Anne Swafford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evaluation research, including qualitative and quantitative data, was used in this study to determine the impact of professional development on online courses’ accessibility by students with disabilities. The study focused on online courses and course content. Data collection took place in phases and included self-paced, online professional development and one-on-one support sessions, a pre- and postsurvey, and a focus group interview. The study took place at a regional 4-year public institution of higher education in West Texas. Change theory emerged as the primary theoretical lens guiding the research as the study unfolded.

Uncertainty In Academia: A Mixed Methods Study Identifying How Value Statements On Plagiarism Correlate With Plagiarism Reporting Behaviors Of Undergraduate Faculty In A Distance Education Program, Laurie Kay Larson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Plagiarism is a growing concern for colleges and universities around the globe. Research has shown that an overwhelming majority of college students today have admitted to cheating at some point during their academic career; however, some studies have demonstrated that faculty reporting rates are not mirroring this trend. While many studies detail faculty perceptions on plagiarism, this study focused specifically on faculty plagiarism reporting behaviors at a predominantly online institution. Additionally, this study identified five predetermined value statement factors derived from the available literature and further explored how those factors influenced and/or impeded faculty decisions to report a plagiarism violation. …

Managing Course Consistency Across Multi-Campus, Multi-Modal Systems, David A. Line, Stephen Pyle

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Course standardization within multi-campus systems and between online and on-campus courses is critical for educational consistency, continual improvement, management of curricula and accreditation. This best practice presentation will review two calibration efforts undertaken by the authors at their respective Universities. Methodologies incorporated, systems developed and issues encountered will be discussed.

The Perceived Role Of Online Stem Dual Credit In Rural Nebraska High Schools, Trentee Bush

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This exploratory study was based on interviews with twelve participants, four community college dual credit coordinators and eight high school administrators (principals and guidance counselors). The purpose was to understand the role of dual credit STEM courses in rural Nebraska high schools and the impact these courses had on the institution. The interview process revealed the lack of uniformity in dual credit processes throughout the state.

The concept of dual credit is widely discussed. The potential benefits and challenges of these courses and programs are vast. Without national legislation, each state can make determinations and decisions about state-wide policies related …

The Value Of Interactive Multimodal Online Higher Education Classrooms: Examining The Impact Of Interactive Multimedia-Based Instructional Design (Imbid), Andrea Munro

Dissertations

Purpose: Despite their affordability and convenience, online courses have higher student failure and dropout rates than ground based-courses. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative single-case study was to determine if there is a difference between interactive, multimedia-based online instruction and traditional text-based online instruction as it relates to the level of student performance, engagement, and satisfaction in higher education.

Methodology: This quantitative research design used inferential statistics to analyze the research questions. The researcher selected 13 text-based courses that were redesigned to become interactive, multimedia-based courses. Archival student performance, engagement, and satisfaction data was abstracted from both the text-based and …

Title Ix Compliance, Clery Act, Vawa, And The Department Chair, Stephen F. Pyle, David A. Line

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This interactive research based workshop will review findings regarding expectations of Chairs in facilitating compliance efforts by the University in both traditional and distance learning environments. Chairs will explore through case study analysis how compliance with Title IX, Clery Act, and Violence Against Women Act serves their department.

Influence Of Reading Proficiency On Placement And Success In Online Developmental Mathematics, Diane Marie Stryk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community college leaders have spent years trying to improve success rates for students in developmental mathematics (DM) courses, but with little progress. This quantitative study, using a pre-experimental static-group research design, examined if a change in a community college district's policy and practices for student placement into DM courses could improve student success in online DM courses. Bounded rationality theory provided the lens to view how students' decision making is influenced by the lack of timely and appropriate information during the placement process. The study addressed whether a composite placement score, the result of combining the ACCUPLACER placement scores for …

Relationships Among Student Type, Gpa, And Retention Within A Proprietary Career College, Steven Charles Parker-Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have suggested that the college student population in the United States is evolving and the number of nontraditional students is rising. New student retention and academic success were ongoing concerns at a college in the southern United States and the association of those outcomes with instructional delivery model and student type was not known. In an effort to improve new student outcomes, this study examined differences in first-quarter student retention and academic success, as measured by GPA, for courses taught strictly online or on campus, and for traditional versus nontraditional students. Guided by Bean and Metzner's conceptual model of …

Mentoring, Managing, And Motivating Online Course Instructors: Emerging Chair Responsibilities, Mary B. Schreiner Ph.D., Scott Ballantyne Ed.D., Karen Thacker Ph.D.

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

The number of online university courses continues to grow, and instructors of these courses need unique kinds of involvement with their department chairs. The presentation outlines best practices department chairs can use to mentor, manage and motivate online course instructors, based on both experience and emerging literature in this field.

Factors For Success In Community College Online Gateway Math, Lisa Marie Borzewski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that student success rates in online classes are lower than in comparable face-to-face courses. Yet, the research is unclear as to whether student demographic and academic history variables are related to the lower success rates. At a large community college in Florida, low success rates for students in the online Intermediate Algebra course led to delays in the continuation of required coursework and graduation for many students and the factors associated with low success rates were largely unknown. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the associations between several student variables and student success in …

A Program For Persistent Integration Of Faith And Learning In A Christian University Online Environment, John Norris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia has expanded since 1971 to become the largest Christian university in the world. Liberty will be used in this paper as a contemporary example of a Christian university that has maintained its Christian commitment. Liberty will be contrasted with numerous Christian colleges and universities that had similar missions but have eventually lost their religious affiliations and their Christian-oriented focus. This paper will explore how and why other universities have drifted from their original religious affiliations and doctrines. The reasons and processes will be examined and used to develop a program for online Christian education that …

Engagement In An Online Course: Thestudents' Viewpoint, Michael B. Miller

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Distance education is not a new phenomenon, distance education had its beginning with correspondence education through postal services in the 19th century (Daniel, 2000) and progressed into the 21st century with the use of computer-mediated instruction. Еvеn with аll оf itѕ соnvеniеnсе аnd роrtаbility, thе оnlinе сlаѕѕrооm iѕ ѕtill ѕееn by mаny аѕ lасking thе humаn “соnnесtivity” оf fасе tо fасе соurѕеѕ. Rесеnt findingѕ hаvе ѕhоwn thаt оnlinе lеаrnеrѕ’ lеvеlѕ оf ѕаtiѕfасtiоn, реrfоrmаnсе, аnd ѕеnѕе оf соmmunity аrе rеlаtеd tо thе intеrасtiоnѕ thеy hаvе with thеir inѕtruсtоrѕ, inсluding thе tyре аnd frеquеnсy оf fееdbасk thеy rесеivе оn аѕѕignmеntѕ аnd соurѕе …

Online Attrition At A Community College In Rural Appalachia: A Phenomenological Approach, Victoria Sue Ratliff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The education attainment level of residents in rural Appalachia has consistently ranked below the remaining populous of the United States. Although distance education initiatives have attempted to bridge the disparities between rural Appalachia and the rest of the nation, online community college students in this region are likely to drop out or fail their classes. To understand the phenomenon of online attrition in rural Appalachia, a phenomenological study was conducted to determine what students experienced from the time they chose to enroll in online classes through the point of failure or withdrawal from their courses. This triangulated study utilized surveys, …

Does Online Course Design Encourage Attrition? Assessing Usability Factors In Learning Management Systems, Lisa Theresa Richardson

Dissertations

Online coursework offers many college students flexibility and increased earning potential that they otherwise may not have due to personal or professional responsibilities and restrictions. Unfortunately, for students with disadvantaged technology backgrounds or disabilities limited accessibility compromises these opportunities for students who already face significant challenges to the completion of their post-secondary education. In the same manner that universal design of physical spaces increases usability of buildings and other facilities for all patrons, universal design of web-based courses could improve retention of course content for all learners.

In a case study based on cognitive load theory and constructivist pedagogy, the …

The Role Of Data In Decision Making About Online Distance Education: A Case Study Of Three Community Colleges, William Allan Heineman

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Community colleges face pressures to use data to make decisions as they expand online distance education, but practical and political factors as well as the emergent nature of online distance education can be obstacles to making decisions in this way. Using a multiple case study strategy, this study examined the following research questions: 1) How and to what extent do community college academic leaders use data when making decisions about online distance education? 2) What data about online distance education do community college academic leaders cite as influences on their decision making and how strong are those influences? 3) How …

Educational Design As Transdisciplinary Partnership: Supporting Assessment Design For Online, Meg O'Reilly

Dr Meg O'Reilly

The design of student assessment for the online context can be a disquieting experience without the support of colleagues and a group of peers from across a range of disciplines with whom to share ideas. This paper reports on interviews conducted with academic “peak performers” as well as some educational design practitioners about the current practices of designing for online assessment. A transdisciplinary approach to educational design is proposed for further exploration.

Educational Design As Transdisciplinary Partnership: Supporting Assessment Design For Online, Meg O'Reilly

Dr Meg O'Reilly

The design of student assessment for the online context can be a disquieting experience without the support of colleagues and a group of peers from across a range of disciplines with whom to share ideas. This paper reports on interviews conducted with academic “peak performers” as well as some educational design practitioners about the current practices of designing for online assessment. A transdisciplinary approach to educational design is proposed for further exploration.

A Case Study On Graduates From An Online Certificate Program And Their Experiences Related To Engagement Practices, Lorraine Angelino

All Dissertations

The number of students taking online courses increased 146% from fall 2002 through fall 2007. In addition, the number of distance education programs increased 299% from 2000–01 through 2006–07. As the number of students taking online courses continues to increase, institutions of higher education will need to focus on increasing student retention and increasing student success. Low retention rates plague online programs that lack engagement practices. One method to achieving student success is engaging online learners early and often using engagement practices focused on increasing interactions with faculty, other students, course content, and members of the community.
Angelino and Natvig's …