Exploring Online Student Engagement through Doctoral Residencies: A Single Instrumental Case Study Design
Abstract: Online education has experienced an explosion in its popularity over the last several decades. This tremendous growth has resulted in online programs needing to better determine how to meet its students’ unique learning needs, who are mostly working professional, and to structuring program requirements that are more inclusive of helping them feel supported and successful in their academic journeys. Similar to on-ground doctoral programs, online campuses also require for students to complete residency requirements. These program requirements can help students to feel more connected to their program faculty, peers, and the institution. Through these meetings, students gain essential skills related to their current and future studies and professional settings. To better support students in residency requirements, this case study investigated students’ perceptions of their residency meetings in order to better determine how to structure future meetings to be more attentive to student needs. Through student survey responses and verbal and written feedback, the program has modified their residency meetings to incorporate more time for students to connect outside of required sessions and has ensured that new incoming students are better prepared for their future residency meetings.