The COVID-19 global pandemic highlighted the dire need for institutional leaders to implement robust crisis communication strategies. Institutions risk damaging their reputation and relationships with constituents if their communication falters during a crisis. The purpose of this holistic single case study was to explore the appearance of the…

On July 14, 2021, the Pennsylvania State Universities Board of Governors collectively approved a proposal to merge six Pennsylvania state universities. The three institutions in the West were California, Clarion, and Edinboro. Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield were consolidated in the Northeast. The board then hosted a publicly available…

The purpose of this research is to quantify differences in key performance indicators between paid and organic (not paid) website traffic over a one year period of time at a regional comprehensive university in Kentucky, which is located in the southeastern United States. Two distinct sources of website traffic can be measured: paid traffic and…

While the academic scholarship has been focused on the theoretical understanding of "online learning readiness," there has been limited exploration for its practical application. This research study aims to spotlight a novel paradigm of scholarly-practitioner approaches dedicated to thoroughly examining online readiness by employing a…

Social media has been used in massive open online courses (MOOCS) from the beginning of the MOOC movement. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google Hangouts have provided collaborative and engaging spaces for MOOC students to work together on projects and activities, and for instructors to guide students. Instructional…

Many students who enroll in online universities will never graduate. Attrition in higher education is accepted and expected; however, in exclusively online programs, it is prolific, with more than 80% of those students who begin an online program leaving before graduating. It is well known in the academic literature that isolation is related to…

Preschool teachers use their ideals as a sifter to comb through their most pertinent funds of knowledge related to mealtimes with young children. The purpose of this two-cycle action research study was to investigate and enhance child-feeding professional learning opportunities--targeted at early childhood educators working with young children…

Providing students with access to mentoring is now a national priority, as demonstrated by the prevalence and diversity of formal mentoring programs at postsecondary institutions (Crisp, 2017). The proliferation of formal mentoring programs has resulted in postsecondary institutions designing and implementing eMentoring programs. Despite their…

The purpose of this study was to understand how pre-service teachers interact in collaborative spaces as well as to describe their perception of the challenges and the benefits they associate with collaborative learning and technology. The different methods of collaborative learning and technology utilized in the pre-service teachers' programs…

Although enrollment in online courses continues to accelerate, challenges exist in online learning. A failure to experience collaboration and interaction can impact student retention and success. While peer review activity provides student interaction and the development of a collaborative community of learners, higher education environments have…

Understanding how to best support online postsecondary students is critical for student success and the credibility of online education as measured by student retention. With the growing trend of online education as an alternative to traditional face-to-face instruction, meeting the needs of online learners is essential. It is also essential that…

In this qualitative single-case study, this researcher explored the challenges faced by online advisors and their need to have a training program that is beneficial to online academic advisors. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences online advisors had regarding challenges they faced and the on-the-job training…

Studies show that how students think of mathematics is related to their approach to learning and course performance; views that fall into one of two categories, fragmented or cohesive conceptions of math. Students who view mathematics as a complex system that can be used to explain the world around them (cohesive), often adopt deeper approaches to…

Cyberbullying is a growing phenomenon, causing concern among students, parents, and professionals in the educational community. Although no federal law specifically addresses cyber-harassment in higher education, institutions have a legal obligation to address all claims of harassment, regardless of the location or platform in which the harassing…

Since student retention in online courses is related to the students' community, this dissertation explores the effect of discussion board prompt format on students' sense of community of inquiry (CoI). The quasi-experimental study design examined the participation levels, sense of CoI (i.e., social, teaching, and cognitive presence), and final…