The purpose of this quantitative, ex post facto study was to determine if there was a significant difference in course pass and withdrawal rates between online community college synchronous and asynchronous introductory English composition (IEC) courses. The community of inquiry provided the theoretical foundation for the study. The research…

In the spring of 2020, a global pandemic caused an immediate transition to online, synchronous learning platforms in much of the world. In discussion-based classrooms, where students construct learning from the material and their interactions with each other, the shift posed new challenges to educators and students. This mixed methods action…

As COVID-19 continues to impact various business sectors, university administrators have steadily pushed for all academic units to resume on campus operations and activities; conversely, faculty and students have expressed increased interest in continuing online teaching/learning. We aim to mitigate this "tug-of-war" between…

On March 13th, 2020, a proclamation declaring a national emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak would require all educational institutes to execute an indefinite distance learning plan. Instructors immediately pivot while providing students with rich and relevant learning experiences. This study compared overall…

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Computer Science and STEM-related fields were among the most resistant to online courses. This is because of a perception of the need for more hands-on instruction with labs, clinicals, field studies, etc. Additionally, many STEM students had perceptions based on limited experience of an online STEM course.…

An active-learning concurrent preparatory general chemistry course was adopted to replace a prerequisite course that lacked effectiveness in improving student outcomes. Our previous study showed that the concurrent course increased final exam performance and retention in a cohort of students. This paper studies the course modality impact of the…

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced teaching and learning in dramatic ways. Educators have made significant efforts to facilitate learning in dynamically changing formats, and students have experienced a very difficult time to learn in non-traditional environments and settings. This study focuses on participation rates of 5th grade students on a…

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many instructors were forced to adjust from in-person to emergency remote teaching; however, classroom observation protocols, like the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS), have only been developed and validated for in-person instruction. Therefore, we developed and validated an…

The spread of online courses and programs in community colleges across the nation has contributed to a redefinition of open-access education. Accordingly, the growth in online courses has drawn attention to the value of different instructional modalities, particularly with regard to their effectiveness in learning, retention, and success. As a…

"Fable Writer" is an online reading, writing and research tool designed to facilitate synchronous, collaborative writing tool that enables learners to read and copy text and images from teacher-curated books and Web-based resources in the "Fable Reader" digital library. The "Fable Writer" project addressed two…

Despite a substantial body of research on the effectiveness of distance education at the post-secondary level, little is known about the impact of online course delivery on the achievement gap. In California, the gap between white and Latino post-secondary student outcomes is significant and persistent, with Latino students overrepresented in…

Online learning has steadily become a more integral strategy for schools and districts in their efforts to offer students greater access to the courses they need. Where in the past, much of the online learning activity happened at the state level or regional level, more and more schools are exercising greater control over their online and digital…

Jack Nilles surveys the evolution of ee-learning at the University of Southern California, together with the first formal telecommuting demonstration program, from its beginnings in the early 1970s to the relevant trends in 2006. Although the basic technologies of telecommuting and ee-learning were in evidence in the 1970s, subsequent…

Online learning is evolving into much more than discussions via Blackboard. Today's online learners are spending time engaged in discussions, meeting in virtual classrooms, and combining online and on-the-ground learning, even if they live time zones away from campus. In response, universities are adjusting their curriculum, learning expectations,…

We examined a novel formative assessment and instructional approach with 89 students in three electrical engineering classes in special computer-based discussion sections. The technique involved students individually solving circuit problems online, with their real-time responses observed by the instructor. While exploratory, survey and…