Improving Student Satisfaction with Large-scale, Compressed Timeline, Online Graduate Education Courses
Abstract: This teacher action research study focuses on the possible causes for a sharp decrease in course satisfaction by students enrolled in a large-scale, compressed timeline online course when compared to student satisfaction in all previously taught courses. To determine modifications to the large-scale, compressed timeline online course, I analyzed (a) the structures of this course and small-scale, online courses; (b) course evaluation instrument item scores from all course evaluations; and (c) students' comments from all course evaluations. Based on evidence from these data and consideration of self-determination theory, I introduced strategies to strengthen students’ feelings of relatedness, autonomy, and competence into the second large-scale, compressed timeline online course. These strategies included increasing the frequency and supportive nature of student-faculty communication, with a slight reduction in course assignments. Course evaluation item scores and student comme