Education Commons^™

Understanding Faculty Perception Of Completely Asynchronous And Synchronous Online Education On Student Retention At Community Colleges In Western Pennsylvania: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Faculty Online Education Experience, Sally A. Mercer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand completely online education’s impact on student retention for faculty at community colleges in western Pennsylvania. The theory guiding this study was Michael G. Moore’s transactional distance theory, which centers on three components of online education—structure, communication, and student autonomy. The literature review revealed these factors, and their relevant sub-factors all influence faculty’s experience and knowledge of the factors that impact student retention. The central research question for this study was as follows: What are faculty’s perceptions of completely asynchronous and synchronous education at community colleges in western Pennsylvania? This study …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Teachers When Enrolled In An Asynchronous Certification Program: A Phenomenological Study, Sara R. Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of teachers when enrolled in an asynchronous pre-service educator certification program. This study was guided by John Keller’s theory of motivation, as it explained the motivational factors that influence the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) model for teachers who have completed an asynchronous educator certification program. A qualitative hermeneutical phenomenology design was combined with snowball and convenience sampling to enroll 10 participants from a school district in the Midwest. Responses from semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group with five participants were collected, and program description letters were obtained from all participants. …

Interprofessional Simulation And The Development Of Professional Identity Using Asynchronous Teaching Methods, Benjamin Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This study aimed to explore whether virtual, asynchronous interprofessional education (IPE) improve interprofessional attitudes as defined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies and develop student professional identity. Healthcare professionals are highly specialized providers that often interact and overlap with other providers to help treat patients. Literature shows that stressful environments and a lack of understanding of roles can lead to conflict, but successful interprofessional collaboration leads to improved patient care. This study used a mixed method approach, creating a virtual, asynchronous viewing of a simulation within the school’s education platform Moodle as the intervention. The video was of …

Decentering The White Gaze: The Effects Of Involving African-American Students In Curricular Decision-Making In An Independent School Library, Michelle Efird Rosen

Theses and Dissertations

Many Black students at independent schools across the nation spend most of their educational lives with few classmates or teachers who look like them. This isolation is exacerbated by a curriculum that historically has taught to a White standard of excellence. Long the bastion of wealthy, White families, independent schools have generally failed to make headway in their efforts to recruit Black families to their campuses. This has left Black students with the burden of finding their own methods of adapting to a predominantly White school environment. This study sought to determine how involving four African-American fourth-grade students in a …

A Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of Homeschool Parents Who Use Online Courses As Scaffolding To Improve Their Children's Self-Efficacy, Andrew Scott Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of homeschooling families in the United States has rapidly increased since the 1970s, and in particular since the COVID-19 pandemic. This influx of families has brought differing motivations for homeschooling and expectations for curriculum. Online course implementation has been linked to improved self-efficacy, as well as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career selection. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how homeschool parents utilize online courses as scaffolding to improve self-efficacy in their children as a means of college or career preparation. The theories guiding this study were Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and Bruner’s …

The Relationship Of Levels Of Hearing And Course Format With Course Satisfaction: A Predictive Correlational Study, Diana Blakeney-Billings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study using a predictive, correlational design was to investigate the relationship between two unrelated predictor variables (levels of hearing and course format) and one criterion variable (course satisfaction scores). The study included 239 undergraduate students enrolled in HED 101 at an HBCU institution in Alabama. Hearing loss is an invisible disorder that impacts social, emotional, and educational aspects. This study was critical to determine whether course modality and hearing loss can influence students’ course satisfaction. Data collection involved administering the collaborative learning, social presence, and satisfaction (CLSS) questionnaire and an audiological hearing screening that involved …

Morale Of Educators Amidst A Pandemic: A Heuristic Phenomenological Inquiry, Dawn Dianne Peterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This heuristic phenomenological qualitative research study aimed to understand the educators' perceptions of their lived experience teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on teacher morale in the U.S. The theory guiding this study is Narrative Identity Theory, in which Dan McAdams proposed the first full theoretical model. This theory contributed significant awareness to the phenomenon studied when trying to understand the evaluative and emotional meaning expressed through the stories of the teachers. The essence of morale is understood more holistically considering the contribution of Narrative Identity Theory. Data was collected through online interviews on Microsoft Teams and analyzed …

Impact Comparison Of Face-To-Face And Asynchronous Learning Environments On Student Performance, Rebecca Reyes

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to explore the impact of the Face-to-Face and Asynchronous learning environments on student performance. The recent Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 pushed primary and secondary schools nationwide to offer an online learning environment as an option in public education. Accordingly, grand debate arose about whether students’ performance remained the same regardless of learning environment. A mixed-method study was used to determine significant difference in student performance, and analysis depicted learning environment outcomes by race as well. Data analysis revealed no significant difference in student performance between the Face-to-Face and Asynchronous learning environments overall. …

A Grounded Theory For The Dissatisfaction Of Asynchronous Online Education Among Community College Students, Scott Sandok

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

As higher education institutions face the pressures of decreasing enrollment, online education is experiencing significant growth. Students are attracted to asynchronous online courses’ flexibility but often have inconsistent experiences. Previous research focused on drivers of satisfaction for online learning; this study concentrated on identifying the drivers of dissatisfaction for asynchronous online delivery among community college students. This study utilized a survey and semi-structured interviews to generate a grounded theory answer to the drivers of dissatisfaction. A survey based on Moore’s Transactional Distance Theory model broadly identified the areas of most significant concern for students with experience with asynchronous online courses. …

A Pen, A Pencil, Or A Keyboard: Writing Center Tutors’ Perceptions, Mirta Ramirez-Espinola

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

A Pen, A Pencil, or a Keyboard: Online Writing Center Tutors’ Perceptions

Author, Adjunct Faculty, Grand Canyon University

Abstract

Writing can be challenging for some students, even those who have graduated high school and are moving forward to higher learning. Thus, an idea about students and writing support led to a study about writing centers and the individuals responsible for supporting struggling writers. This qualitative case study explored the tutors’ perceptions of online writing tutoring and investigated how tutors perceive their work using both asynchronous and synchronous online tutoring modes at a 4-year university. Though the writing center participating in …

Asynchronous Student Engagement In Analysis Of Climate Data Achieves Learning Objectives Related To Climate Change Understanding, Statistical Competence, And Climate Anxiety, Thomas Meixner, B. Ciancarelli, E. P. Farrell, D. Silva Garcia, T. Josek, M. M. Kelly, Paul Antone Meister, D. Soule, Rebekka Darner

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Learning in asynchronous online environments has gained importance over the last several decades, and educational environment shifts from the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have increased this need. Science educators and students need information about which approaches work in the asynchronous environment where informal feedback tends to be reduced, compared to other teaching modalities. In this study, we asynchronously implemented a learning module across 5 institutions that guided students (N = 199) from prescriptive data analysis through guided inquiry and eventually to open inquiry. The module focuses on the science behind climate change. Students work with the same authentic data sets …

Student And Teacher Perspectives On Asynchronous Learning During The Covid Pandemic, Michele Ehrhart

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The COVID Pandemic shut down schools across the country, leaving K-12 schools unprepared for virtual learning. In this mixed methods study, I examined data gathered from my 8th-grade science classes to assess the effectiveness of asynchronous instruction. My original research question was: How much if at all, did learning outcomes differ as a function of how the lessons were taught (uninterrupted instructional video versus interrupted/interactive Edpuzzle video)? Based on a preliminary examination of data, my study expanded into how self-regulated learning affected students’ comprehension, interest, and motivation. Study results showed no statistical differences in students’ comprehension based on how lessons …

Cognitive Load In Asynchronous Discussions Of An Online Undergraduate Stem Course, Emily K. Faulconer, Beverly Wood, Charlotte Bolch

Publications

Purpose – As online course enrollments increase; it is important to understand how common course features influence students’ behaviors and performance. Asynchronous online courses often include a discussion forum to promote community through interaction between students and instructors. Students interact both socially and cognitively; instructors’ engagement often demonstrates social or teaching presence. Students’ engagement in the discussions introduces both intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load. The purpose of this study is to validate an instrument for measuring cognitive load in asynchronous online discussions. Design/methodology/approach – This study presents the validation of the NASA-TLX instrument for measuring cognitive load in asynchronous online …

Cognitive Load In Asynchronous Discussions Of An Online Undergraduate Stem Course, Emily Faulconer, Beverly Wood, Charlotte Bolch

Publications

Purpose

As online course enrollments increase, it is important to understand how common course features influence students' behaviors and performance. Asynchronous online courses often include a discussion forum to promote community through interaction between students and instructors. Students interact both socially and cognitively; instructors' engagement often demonstrates social or teaching presence. Students' engagement in the discussions introduces both intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load. The purpose of this study is to validate an instrument for measuring cognitive load in asynchronous online discussions.

A Qualitative Study On Teachers' Perceptions Of Virtual Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Midwest Public School District, Tina Lauer

Dissertations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools closed to in-person instruction and forced teachers and students into virtual learning environments. Schools and districts had to create new ways to deliver curriculum to their students, and most chose to switch to an online/virtual learning environment. In this learning environment, the teachers taught from a distance, and students received their instruction through synchronous and asynchronous methods. This change in content delivery was a new experience for most educators. Teachers worldwide expressed their frustrations with virtual instruction and dissatisfaction with student engagement through social media and mainstream media outlets. The study aimed to determine teachers’ …

Graduate Student’S Perceptions Of Academic Coaches In Accelerated Online Courses, Rosalinda Hernandez, Alejandro Garcia

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the graduate student’s perceptions of the effectiveness of academic coaches in asynchronous accelerated online instruction in a master’s Educational Leadership program. A mixed method research design was used to examine student satisfaction using surveys, focus student group interviews on an accelerated online master’s in educational leadership program. The sample population for this study included participants from former and current graduate students in an Educational Leadership Master of Education program. The study is a step forward in understanding the role of instructional coaches and the support provided to students and professors in accelerated …

Investigating Best Practices For Engaging Chemistry Students In Online Learning, Megan Smith

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

This project investigated two online delivery methods to identify how to best support student learning. Students were grouped based on chemistry background and took part in one of two content lessons appropriate to their experience. These two content groups were then divided based on delivery method: asynchronous or synchronous. Participants completed a pre- and post-test around the lesson, with only content delivery method differing within groups; asynchronous students watched a video lecture, while synchronous students participated in a real-time lecture online. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. While student test scores improved pre-post, no statistical significance was seen in …

Examinees’ Affective Preference For Online Speaking Assessment: Synchronous Vs Asynchronous, Yuxiao Du, Fangzheng Zhang

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

With technological advancement and the COVID pandemic, online speaking assessment is increasingly used in language teaching. Two modes are developed: online synchronous testing (direct human-to-human interview) and online asynchronous testing (semi-direct human-to-machine interview). Ample literature has explored how each of the two online modes differs from traditional face-to-face speaking assessments. However, few studies have investigated the differences between the two modes, especially in terms of examinees’ affective preferences. This study, therefore, compares the extent to which each mode is accepted and favored by test takers and explores why such an affective preference emerges. The participants are 46 college students enrolled …

Collaboration In An Asynchronous Online Educator Preparation Program, Laurie Bobley, Alan Sebel

Touro Scholarly Works

Asynchronous online courses generally provide little opportunity for students to collaborate with peers. In a typical asynchronous course, students work fairly independently and the main interaction with peers is in discussion forums. Yet, professional standards for teachers and school leaders recognize collaborating with stakeholders as a significant responsibility (InTASC, 2013; Professional Standards for Education Leaders, 2015). Acknowledging this, we wanted to provide candidates with an authentic experience communicating and working in teams, and simultaneously make their online coursework more interactive. This paper and presentation will focus on how faculty in an asynchronous online education program addressed this problem of practice. …

Cognitive Load In Asynchronous Discussions In A Fully Online Course, Emily Faulconer

Publications

This study was designed as a quantitative descriptive investigation.

Analyzing The Academic Achievement Of Secondary Virtual Learners During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Christina Kaye Board

Dissertations and Theses

Secondary students from a mid-sized school district in the rural Midwest who had chosen an asynchronous learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed to determine predictors of academic achievement and perceptions of their learning during the pandemic. An explanatory, mixed methods case study was conducted to sequentially analyze quantitative data and qualitatively analyze their experiences. Archival data from 288 students [F(7, 281) = 20.87, p < .001] was used predict grade point average (GPA) during virtual learning (M = 2.43, SD = 0.89) using a multiple linear regression (R2 = .326). This study was done to determine what factors help educators understand the variables that aide in student achievement while virtual learning. Predictor variables included race/ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, grade level, past attendance, past GPA, and number of parents/guardians in the home. Significant predictors were grade level, past GPA (M = 3.05), and sex. The focus of the qualitative research was on access to technology, digital literacy, attitude, motivation, and social connectedness prior to, during, and post-virtual learning. Four themes emerged. Results from this study suggest that schools should consider the type of virtual environment they provide, instructional design that includes social interaction, and professional development for staff prior to implementation of a virtual learning environment to increase achievement.

Making Decisions About Asynchronous And Synchronous Engagement Strategies: Access And Inclusion, Jessica Lantz, Eric M. Stauffer, Jamie Calcagno-Roach, Andrea H. Adams, Kristen S. Shuyler, Aaron Noland, Juhong Christie Liu

Libraries

This chapter conceptualizes an inclusive framework for decision-making in the selection of synchronous or asynchronous technologies to enhance engagement in online learning. Technologies are discussed in light of their utilization and value for course and curriculum design and development in online environments, with the considerations of providing sustained support, and optimizing technology and teaching efficacy. The content presented in the chapter will benefit those who develop and support synchronous and asynchronous learning environments to address challenges when transferring courses to online or hybrid modes.

Online Learning In Graduate Health Programs: Andragogy, Lecture Preference, And The Effectiveness Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Participation, Adam Ladwig

Dissertations and Theses

Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, graduate health programs have undertaken greater utilization of online learning, employing synchronous and asynchronous online lectures as a replacement for traditional face-to-face instruction. Although supported in previous literature as a method at least equally effective to traditional learning, online learning has been a source of frustration for students and instructors expecting face-to-face instruction. This dissertation project seeks to explore (1) the ways in which principles of andragogy have been implemented in graduate health programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) the factors that contribute to preference for online method of lecture participation (synchronous or …

What Covid-19 Taught Us About The Blended Model, Deborah L. Wheeler, Jennifer Hill

Teacher Development Faculty Working Papers

Initially, many faculty in higher education were apprehensive when courses went online in Spring 2020, but they eventually learned a lot about how to effectively teach online. The need for well-designed online courses for faculty in higher education is more prominent than ever-before in the wake of the COVID-19. As reluctant or apprehensive as faculty members were, the move to an online platform offered an opportunity to learn about diverse tools, resources, and innovative ways to teach both in the blended synchronous model and the asynchronous online model. Faculty and students encountered issues, but quickly learned to overcome these challenges. …

Chapter 13- Asynchronous Discussions For First-Year Writers And Beyond: Thinking Outside The Ppr (Prompt, Post, Reply) Box, Miriam Moore

Resilient Pedagogy

Asynchronous discussions can challenge even experienced online learners and teachers: forums can become perfunctory hoops for students to jump through, particularly in the common PPR (prompt, post, reply) format, in which students answer a prompt and then reply to one or more other students. As a peer reviewer for online courses, I have seen rich and insightful discussions that engage students and promote learning, as well as forums that scarcely resemble discussions at all. Research on cultivating dialogue in online discussions has targeted primarily upper-division or graduate courses (see Andreson, 2009; Delahunty, 2018; Delahunty et al., 2014; Garrison et al., …

Creating An Online Concrete Masonry Course For Accessibility, Dolores Herrera

Architectural Engineering: Graduate Reports

An online undergraduate course in masonry design was created for an asynchronous delivery format and to fulfill web accessibility requirements. This report outlines the process of the course creation with Canvas as the host platform. Emphasis is placed on how content including lecture presentations, assignments, and course modules were developed with strong graphic software and communication skills. For accessibility, the content creation was guided by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA Standards. Lastly, the significance of learning masonry design in undergraduate structural engineering curriculum is discussed in addition to the structural engineering industry practices used to complete …

Negotiating A New Blend In Blended Learning: Research Roots, Laura Fuller

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Blended learning has a muddled history but is still evolving. Technological innovations and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 led higher education to create a new blend to blended learning, one that did not follow the generally accepted and most numerous definitions or previous examples of blended learning. This new blend of blended learning lacks the physical environment and face-to-face instruction and consists of all computer-mediated instruction in the form of both asynchronous online instruction and synchronous instruction via videoconferencing and computerized webinar tools. This arrival of a new blend of blended learning requires educators to develop and implement a new …

Supporting Students Through Online Learning, Kristen M. Carlson

Teacher Development Faculty Publications

With the onset of a pandemic, there were opportunities and challenges for supporting learners. Schools and universities were physically closed while interaction shifted to a distance learning modality. In some instances, courses became asynchronous, while other courses met synchronously using video conferencing. Educators were adaptable when the pandemic occurred, quickly setting up home offices to meet their learners’ needs. This occurrence showed that it was in educators’ best interest to understand distance best practices. Distance learning has been utilized at institutions in the United States for the past two decades. However, it has not been widely adopted as mainstream because …

Asynchronous Training For Online Teaching Assistants, Jason Snellings

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) eLearning and Instructional Design (eLID) team provides technical support to faculty and teaching assistants (TAs) as they teach online courses. There is currently a lack of support for TAs to properly train them to handle the technical tasks designated to them by faculty. This lack of education results in an increased workload on the eLID team in responding to TAs. Research was conducted to determine what the common duties of TAs are and what roles they should be able to fulfill at UMB. In addition, research was used to determine the best method of …

Higher Education And Covid-19: Impact On Nontraditional Students Following A Traditional Path, R. Lauren Miller

All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects

This phenomenological research aimed to examine the impact that transitioning to online education in March of the Spring 2020 semester in response to COVID-19 had on nontraditional students. Students are considered nontraditional if they meet at least one of the following criteria: are at least 25 years old, attend school part-time, work full-time, are a veteran, have children, wait at least one year after high school before entering college, have a GED instead of a high school diploma, are a first-generation student (FGS), are enrolled in non-degree programs, or have reentered a college program (MacDonald, 2018). Nontraditional students hold multiple …