The purpose of this study was to inform other science instructors and to determine what best practices in online learning are effective in developing a sense of community and support, through quality learner to learner, and learner to instructor interactions in an asynchronous, graduate biology course. An often-stated fact of e-learning is that…

This study examines whether applying purposeful course design that includes a standardized, easy-to-navigate learning management system (LMS), a focus on creating teacher presence, and the establishment of an environment that provides a feeling of community and inclusion among students can foster retention when a degree program shifts from…

The online environment provides a unique opportunity for students from wide-ranging locations to participate in academic activities to develop collegial abilities or vocational skills. The training process for working in the counseling field consists of graduate level learning pertaining to mental health issues, self-exploration, ethical and moral…

The purpose of this paper is to examine a specific online pedagogical tool, "Digital Moments" that can be an effective strategy for building online communities in a knowledge building environment. While the paper will examine the specific techniques and teaching methodologies that enabled the authors to create authentic online learning…

As institutional and market pressures move more faculty into the online teaching space, renewed discussions are occurring about how to best teach online, and what features of online courses are best to employ. A distance learning staple, the online discussion, or asynchronous discussion forum (ADF) is an easy strategy for faculty to employ in an…

Virtual learning is a popular teaching modality, and it has been reported in research that there is no significant difference in academic outcome as compared with face-to-face courses. Not all researchers agree with this assertion and some claim it is more difficult to teach math-oriented subjects online. Given that educational psychology theories…

Online dialogic communities have become a ubiquitous tool that transforms student learning and course delivery. Threaded Discussions extend classroom learning by providing an asynchronous method of communication for the exchange of meaningful ideas that promote critical thinking and develop thoughtful reflective learning. Threaded Discussions…