This research project surveyed college students about their experiences with online learning in the aftermath of the move to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). Specifically, students reported on strategies they appreciate in an online instructor. While students shared varied advice for best practices, their responses confirmed what previous studies…

There has been longstanding contention about how terms related to online and hybrid learning should be defined. In this study, we report survey findings on how administrators and faculty apply the following terms in practice: online learning, hybrid learning, hyflex learning, in-person learning, synchronous learning, and asynchronous learning.…

Over the last decade, the prevalence of online courses has continued to grow, and students in higher education are being offered increased access to technology and communication tools in online learning programs. This action research study analyzed the impact of two distinct types of online course instruction (100% asynchronous and weekly online…

This scoping review summarizes studies on passive participation in collaborative online learning activities that used computer-mediated communication tools in school settings. A total of 42 articles spanning about 20 years were explored. ERIC and three main journal indexes from Web of Science were used to locate articles. For each year searched,…

In this study, different degrees of synchronous and asynchronous online social interactions are investigated in the context of an online educational roleplaying simulation game that is played across multiple classrooms simultaneously to teach argumentation skills and social studies. Results from 45 K-12 middle school social studies teachers and…

This study explores how online instructors use different instructional strategies to engage learners, and the active learning indicators that they look for among their students. Additionally, it examines how modality--synchronous versus asynchronous--and instructor learner-centeredness relate to instructional strategy choices. Using a mixed…

Bichronous online learning is the intentional blending of asynchronous and synchronous online learning experiences. Twelve award-winning online instructors participated in interviews to discuss best practices they use, and benefits and challenges in bichronous online courses. When sharing best practices for bichronous online courses, online…

Online learning has traditionally relied on asynchronous text-based communication. The COVID-19 pandemic, though, has provided many faculty members with new and/or additional experience using synchronous video-based communication. Questions remain, though, about how this experience will shape online teaching and learning in the future. We…

This survey study examined student readiness for online learning in 2018 through the dimensions of importance placed by the student in online learning and the student's confidence in their ability as measures of readiness. An instrument with four subscales of competencies (online student attributes, time management, communication, and technical)…

Student attitudes towards distance learning can affect both the acquisition of knowledge and the motivation to learn. This study explores student attitudes towards the following four topics: (1) technological and environmental impediments towards distance learning, (2) asynchronous versus synchronous course preferences, (3) online versus in-person…

Supporting productive peer-to-peer interaction is a central challenge in online courses. Although cooperative learning is a well-established method for eliciting productive interaction (Johnson & Johnson, 1989), online modes of cooperative learning have provided mixed results. To explore the factors underlying these mixed results, we used a…

The COVID-19 pandemic required educators and learners to shift to emergency remote instruction, often with little prior notice. To understand how teachers managed the transition, from April to September 2020 we surveyed nearly 1,500 instructors from 118 countries. Using cluster analysis, we have detected two readily distinguishable groups of…

Based on a synthesis of persistence theory and the empirical literature, an online doctoral program integration model was developed using data from 232 online EdD students. A predictive, correlation design and regression analysis were used to examine if personal factors (gender, race, age, marital status, and presence of children in the home) and…

Online course facilitation is critical to the success of online courses. Instructors use various facilitation strategies in online courses to engage students. One hundred instructors were surveyed on their perception of helpfulness of twelve different facilitation strategies used in online courses to enhance instructor presence, instructor…

In this paper, we focus on perceived cognitive presence (CP) in three sections of an intermediate level English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course facilitated online. The researchers intend to demonstrate how lesson design, scaffolding, and a blend of synchronous and asynchronous delivery create perceived CP. Data was collected from the CoI survey…