Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Using A Connected Learning Framework To Promote Democratic Education During A Transition To Online Learning, Abigail H. Baker, Jennifer L. Kassimer

Publications

In this essay, we discuss how a Connected Learning (CL) approach to education can offer students and teachers a democratic framework to follow when designing instruction, especially with the recent shift to online and hybrid instruction due to the global pandemic. We present literature on the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to online instruction in the midst of the pandemic. We then discuss how the CL framework promotes a democratic approach to teaching and learning. Finally, we offer guidance on how to design a unit or lesson plan using a CL framework to provide both a connected and democratic learning …

Does Instructor Quality Affect Student Performance In A College Statistics Course?, John Griffith, Emily Faulconer, Bobby Mcmasters

Publications

Various instructor qualities have been shown to have variable influences student outcomes in online courses. In this study, the impact of faculty quality on student performance was examined by comparing student performance when taught by excellent faculty and average faculty (determined through administrative evaluations). We examined 328 student grades from a 2019 January term 200 level elementary statistics course. Student performance measures included final course scores, grade distributions and pass rates. Learning modality (asynchronous vs. synchronous) and course design (e.g. syllabus, textbook, assignment and assessment design, etc.) as confounding variables were controlled through the template approach implemented at the study …

The Relationship Between Learning Mode And Student Performance In An Undergraduate Elementary Statistics Course In The United States, John C. Griffith, Emily K. Faulconer, Bobby L. Mcmasters

Publications

Faculty have conducted many studies on the relationship between learning mode and student performance but few researchers have evaluated final grades, grade distribution, and pass rates in a sophomore introductory statistics course with a non-traditional student population who self-selected the learning mode from among different course sections. Accordingly, we examined 307 end-of-course grades from four different modes of instruction: (a) online, (b) videosynchronous learning classroom, (c) videosynchronous learning home, and (d) traditional classroom in an introductory statistics course. All data on grades, which included pass rate and grade distribution, were collected from the nine-week January 2019 term. All learning modes …

Peer Learning In Introductory Engineering, Kimberly Luthi, Mohua Kar, Lisa Macon

Publications

Our research aim was to understand if PLTL and engagement in problem-based learning activities increase commitment to engineering pathways and academic success. We used both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis to answer our research questions and give recommendations. The findings show that while there is an overall improvement in grades and commitment to engineering pathways for those involved in PLTL activities, there is still a concern with integration and scalability of PLTL in engineering education.

Working With Human Subjects: Data Access, Use, Storage, & Sharing, Emily Faulconer, Jeremy Ernst

Publications

Researchers must protect the rights, welfare, and safety of human research subjects.

Research: systematic investigation that develops generalizable knowledge Human Subjects: living individuals targeted by an investigator for conducting research by obtaining data through:

• intervention or interaction with the person
• identifiable personal information

Engaging In Scholarly Activities: Conferences & Publication, Emily Faulconer, Amy Riordan

Publications

Scholarly activities have key characteristics.

• Intellectually rigorous
• Expands disciplinary knowledge or creative expression
• Documented
• Validated by the relevant community of professionals

Personalizing The Online Learning Experience Part 1: Persona & Social Presence, Emily Faulconer

Publications

• Instructor Presence
• Learner Profiles
• Building Persona
• Building Social Presence
• Discussions
• Online Office
• Wrap Up

Safety Made Simple: Online, Emily Faulconer

Publications

An e-training program can address many logistical factors that limit effectiveness

• 24-Hour remote access
• Long-term access to materials
• Self-paced learning
• Accessible with disabilities
• Long-term record
• Allows program assessment
• Scalable

Does "Significant Difference" Hold True? Comparing Student Performance In Online Vs. Traditional Science Courses, Emily Faulconer, John C. Griffith

Publications

Meta-analysis studies comparing student outcomes in online and traditional courses indicate no significant difference (or a slight improvement in online courses)

Scientific And Information Literacy In Online Discussion Forums, Emily Faulconer

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Scientific Literacy

• identify a valid scientific argument
• analyze scientific evidence including graphical representations of data
• use mathematical information, and critical thinking in decision-making processes

Does Instructor Quality Affect Student Grades?, Emily Faulconer, John C. Griffith, Bobby Mcmasters

Publications

High quality instructors positively influence student outcomes.

• Course design with strong organization
• Feedback
• Community of inquiry presences
• Cultural responsiveness

Discussion Board Facilitation, Emily Faulconer

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Setting expectations allows students to take responsibility for their learning Discussion Board Engagement Guidelines

• Participation
• Analysis and Interpretation
• Scholarly Dialogue Clear due dates Detailed rubrics Gradebook feedback and feedforward
• Explain your role and be visible
• Model your expectations Idea

Personalizing The Online Learning Experience Part Ii: Instructional Presence, Emily Faulconer

Publications

• Instructor Presence
• Persona
• Social Presence
• Instructional Presence
• Learner Profiles
• Instructional Presence
• Providing Instructions
• Gradebook Feedback
• Checkpoints
• Wrap Up

Eservice-Learning: A Decade Of Research In Undergraduate Online Service-Learning, Emily Faulconer

Publications

With an increasing number of courses taught asynchronously online, it is important to explore how to implement high-impact practices in this modality. Service-learning – a high impact practice - is a course-based, credit-bearing type of experiential learning. It is important to understand instructional strategies and course design for service-learning in the online modality. This review provides an analysis of the last decade of research of Type II and Type IV eService-Learning (with service component online). Analysis of the literature reveals the absence of STEM disciplines, cursory attention to detailing reflection and assessment in describing learning environments in eService-Learning research, and …

Assessment As A Learning Opportunity: Feedforward With Multiple Attempts, Emily Faulconer

Publications

High quality feedback is well-known to provide multiple student benefits, especially if students are provided the opportunity to apply the feedback. It reasons, then, that we can support student success on summative assessments by combining multiple attempts with high-quality immediate feedback. This study explores student behaviors, performance, and perspectives regarding this strategy.

Model For Building Diversity And Fostering Research Collaboration Between Faculty And Students In An Online Environment, Kimberly Luthi

Publications

Best practices to engage a diverse group of learners

• Build awareness of existing research opportunities
• Connect students to hands-on research experiences Use mentoring to build student interest in research
• Create activities and services focused on strengthening academic skills and orienting students to STEM fields (e.g. student support, academic enrichment, and research skill development)
• Provide course-based undergraduate research experiences
• Require a peer review process

Evaluating The State Of The Adjunct Faculty Relationship To The College Of Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, Narcrisha Norman, Federica Robinson-Bryant

Publications

More than half of all faculty in the United States are adjunct faculty (Edmonds, 2015). As of 10/22/2015, the College of Aeronautics (COA) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide (ERAU-WW) included 684 adjunct faculty. This fact creates a necessity to conduct comprehensive research into the value of these faculty, the quality of the adjuncts who are teaching ERAU-WW courses, their affinity for the College, etc. Additionally, it is imperative to evaluate adjunct faculty performance, effectively communicate with adjuncts, at some level predict the commitment of adjunct faculty to the University and communicate the University’s commitment to the adjunct faculty. The …

Bias And Trends In Student Evaluations In Online Higher Education Settings, Cheryl Lynn Marcham, Ann Marie Ade, Patti Clark, James Marion

Publications

End-of course evaluations have been frequently used to assess teaching effectiveness and influence critical decisions about faculty contract renewal, future course assignment, tenure and promotion in higher education. This quantitative study sought to determine whether there are differences in student perceptions of faculty performance based on gender or faculty status (full-time vs. adjunct) in an online higher education environment. It also sought to answer these questions: 1) Do adjunct faculty tend to grade more leniently than full time faculty, and as such, do adjunct faculty receive higher evaluation ratings than full time faculty, who may be more stringent in grading? …

Perspectives On Undergraduate Research Mentorship: A Comparative Analysis Between Online And Traditional Faculty, Emily K. Faulconer, Zachary Dixon, John Griffith, Laura Faulconer

Publications

With an increase in distance faculty, it is important to understand how faculty perceptions of undergraduate research mentorship differ between distance and traditional faculty. Perceptions were examined in a medium sized, not-for-profit university with both residential and distance faculty. Residential faculty were more likely to mentor or were very interested in undergraduate research, but overall interest in mentorship was similar across campuses. Faculty status or career experience was not correlated to interest or engagement in research mentorship. Traditional faculty were more likely to report time commitment as a significant barrier than distance faculty. Other barriers and benefits were aligned between …

Comparing Online And Traditional Student Engagement And Perceptions Of Undergraduate Research, Emily K. Faulconer, John Griffith, Zachary Dixon, Donna Roberts

Publications

Undergraduate research benefits students by strengthening skills, providing professional growth, and improving retention. Yet significant barriers exist, including low awareness of opportunities, restrictive cultural norms, and resource constraints. The proliferation of online education potentially increases barriers, both real and perceived. This study compared participation rates and perceived barriers between undergraduate distance and traditional students. Survey results indicated no significant differences in self-reported participation or overall interest in research. Despite inherent structural limitations of online education, there were no significant differences in the respondents’ perceptions of access to opportunities, physical resources, or human resources. Significant differences were seen regarding awareness of …

Penn State’S School Of Public Affairs Security-Related Academic Programs Amid The Novel Coronavirus Catastrophe, Alexander Siedschlag

Publications

Due to its large OL student population, Penn State’s School of Public Affairs had (unintended) applicable crisis contingency protocols in place prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. With the support of our college’s Center for Teaching Excellence, many traditional F2F residential courses had already been set up on our learning management system (LMS), Canvas. As a result, many of our school’s traditional students and faculty had a handle on using Canvas and remote learning technology. The center enhanced and focused its services to faculty as COVID-19 evolved (Center for Teaching Excellence, 2020). As the COVID-19 crisis hit Penn State during the …

Book Review: High-Impact Practices In Online Education, Emily Faulconer

Publications

This document is Dr. Faulconer’s review of High-Impact Practices in Online Education, 2018. 221p ISBN 978-1-62036-847-3 (paperback), $35.00.

Leading The Charge To Implement Strategic Engagement Initiatives To Capture Enhanced Online Learning Opportunities, Peter O'Reilly

Publications

Presentation objectives:

• Making Online Courses Feel More Like In-Person Courses
• Discussion on Various Effective Engagement Activities
• Results of Engagement Activities Pilots
• Next Steps…

Measuring Person–Job Fit And Career Paths Of Distance Learning Librarians, Jennifer J. Rundels, Anne Marie Casey

Publications

While person–job fit has been used to determine satisfaction in many professions, no research has been done among distance learning librarians. This study investigates person–job fit among librarians with primary distance learning responsibility compared to librarians with some distance learning responsibility and examines whether a common career path exists among the two groups. Responses indicate that librarians who work primarily in distance learning perceive a slightly better fit with their positions and the work itself while those with some distance learning responsibility experience a slightly better fit within their library organizations. Career advancement is a common motivator for both groups.

Collaboration Between Faculty And The Library Using Oer For Curriculum Development, Kelly Whealan George, Anne Marie Casey

Publications

• High Cost of Textbooks
• $1,240 – expected cost of textbooks in 2018-2019 for 4-year college students (CollegeBoard, 2019)
• 43.8% of Florida students spent $301 or more on textbooks in Spring 2018 (Florida Virtual Campus, 2018, p. 9)
• 63% of ERAU students surveyed in summer 2018 found textbooks more expensive than expected

• Case Study to explore textbooks in online courses
• Collaboration between the Library and the Faculty create value for the university and student population by incorporating OER into the course development process.

Formative Assessment Techniques For Online Learning, Emily Faulconer, Beverly Wood

Publications

While most faculty think of assessments as used to measure learning after the fact, formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs) give an instructor a snapshot of where students are in their learning so as to address any gaps in their understanding. Online instructors have a variety of tools at their disposal to incorporate engaging FACTs into their courses that will improve learning outcomes.

Interaction By Design: Exploring The Impact Of Communication Channel Selection On Social Presence In Asynchronous Online Learning Environments, Rachel Vigness

Publications

Building Small Commercial Airport Clusters to Increase Marketing Capability was presented at MBAA International, Chicago, IL in April, 2019.

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Grades And Learning Modes In An Introductory Research Methods Course, Donna L. Roberts, John C. Griffith, Emily Faulconer, Beverly L. Wood, Soumyadip Acharyya

Publications

Education researchers have conducted studies on the relationship of learning mode to student performance, but few studies have evaluated pass rate, grade distribution and student withdrawal rate in an introductory research methods course. In this study, researchers examined 2,097 student grades from the 2015-2016 academic year to determine if such a relationship existed. In this study, learning mode was significantly related to failure rate, grade distribution and withdraw rate. Synchronous video home students had a significantly higher failure rate than traditional In-Person or online students. Online student grade distributions were significantly different than In-Person classroom, synchronous video home or synchronous …

Arriving At A Better Answer: A Decision Matrix For Science Lab Course Format, Emily K. Faulconer, Laura S. Faulconer, James R. Hanamean

Publications

At first glance, scientific laboratory experiences might appear to be challenging to move to the cloud. Skeptics may point to sensory feedback limitations and inequivalence of student outcomes. However, emerging data increasingly provide evidence that scientific laboratory courses are not only amenable to online learning, but also can deliver student outcomes at or above traditional in-person courses. In identifying a science lab format, each institution weighs factors like lab course goals, budget, program growth, access, and safety. This article presents a single case study and a decision matrix for how one institution informed their choice for the modality of a …

Undergraduate Research For Online Students, Emily K. Faulconer, Amy B. Gruss

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Since the term “high impact educational prac-tices” (HIPs) was coined in 2008, it comes up often in SoTL research and professional devel-opment. Undergraduate research is one of the commonly listed HIPs. The profes sional and personal benefits to studentsP are numerous, including increased perAsistence, self-confi-dence, career preparation, enhanced mentori©ng relationships, development of transferable skills, networking opportunities, and balancing of intellectual independence and collaboration skills (Council on Undergraduate Research, 2017; Lopatto, 2006, 2010; Madan & Teitge, 2013).