This dissertation explores the transformative evolution of online learning, focusing on its role in K-12 online education and the critical issue of student engagement. Tracing its origins from early correspondence courses to today's dynamic, technology-driven platforms, this research examines how online learning has revolutionized educational…

The rise of virtual learning established e-learning as an emerging education delivery method (Jones et al., 2022). One of the barriers to virtual education was the lack of insight into the quality of students' online learning experience. For instance, without an active instructor to clarify the course content, virtual learners viewed instructional…

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to explore English composition faculty members' experiences during the expedited transition from face-to-face instruction to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem addressed in this study was that a lack of understanding exists regarding faculty experiences…

To promote public education and reach a broader range of visitors outside the galleries, museums have developed various virtual educational programs by taking advantage of technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many art museums temporarily closed their galleries. Different types of virtual educational programs became the main methods of…

This dissertation research focuses on Open Educational Resources (OER) and OER-based courses as a solution to the rising cost of textbooks. This study focuses on the impact of OER-based courses on student success metrics and examines student and faculty attitudes towards OER-based courses. The study takes place at a medium-sized, rural community…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how online faculty describe their teaching resources and demands, their perceived readiness to teach in a CBE instructional setting, and their recommendations for training resources to meet their actual teaching demands in online CBE university programs in the United States. Little…

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented event in world history with a global impact. In the United States, emergency remote teaching (ERT) was utilized due to significant changes in the educational system, including temporary closures, shifts to remote and hybrid learning, and the addition of various infection control measures such as the…

Although the number of principal preparation programs (PPPs) has continued to grow, researchers have voiced concerns about the effectiveness of these licensing programs, particularly given the importance of a principal in student achievement and teacher retention. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the perceptions of graduates of the…

With the rise of online courses taught at the post-secondary level, instructors must make decisions on what resources and tools they implement since this can directly impact student learning (Ascough, 2011; Means et al, 2010; Simonson, 2011). Moreover, instructors have access to thousands of free resources and tool though a click of a mouse as…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how college students with Deaf, deaf, and Hard of Hearing (D/d/HH) described how their communication and learning needs were being met in the online learning environments (OLEs). The problem was that college students with hearing difficulties had inconsistent access to hearing…

The University of Arkansas System eVersity was established in 2014 by the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees. More than 80% of the student population at the institution is non-traditional, with time or location restrictions that prevent participation in on-campus degree programs. eVersity Engage is a required orientation course…

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) use free or low-fee short courses to increase access to education both in the United States and internationally. Since the University of Illinois partnered with the MOOC provider Coursera in 2013 it has seen over 1.55 million enrollments in over 125 open courses, as well as the development of four online…

In recent decades, open, online learning environments have become progressively more popular and well-funded. An integral aspect of this open learning movement is the transition of a substantial amount of control of the learning process from designers and instructors to the users engaging with the environment. With heavy investments coming from…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam required all schools to close their doors from March 13, 2020, through the remainder of the school year, causing districts in the Commonwealth to create distance learning plans for PreK-12 education within a matter of weeks. The continued fluctuation of COVID-19 positive case numbers…

This study investigates to what extent the characteristics of effective face-to-face professional development hold in a MOOC designed for statistics development of secondary teachers and the nature of teachers' and others' interactions with materials and with each other in this online professional development. Social theory of learning and…