Think You Know What Learners Want in an Online Class? Think Again.
Abstract: The purpose of our poster/demonstration is to highlight the discrepancies between what online learners perceive and report about their learning experiences versus what teachers and facilitators think they want and need. The underlying goal of our research is to understand what students identify as best practices and barriers in their online classes in order to improve online learning through faculty education. Our work is driven by a desire to increase student retention and completion in online courses. Our poster details more than 240 responses from online learners and what they reported about their experiences. We asked students to share their perceptions of all aspects of online learning, from registration and start up, to interaction with peers and faculty, to how they would compare their online learning to a traditional classroom experience. Their responses provide insight into learner experiences that are helpful in informing online course design and delivery.
Presider: Monique Woodard, Wilkes University