Research Annotations

Records: 322

Quality Assurance: Implementation: How It Works

Barbara Altman     Kay Shattuck     Bethany Simunich     Barbra Burch

APA Citation

Altman, B., Shattuck, K., Simunich, B., & Burch, B. (2020). Quality assurance implementation: How it works. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administrations, 23(4). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter234/altman_shattuck_simunich_burch234.html

Annotation

“This qualitative research study sought to examine the Continuum of Excellence in Quality Assurance (CEQA) model first offered by Adair & Shattuck (2019), a heretofore theoretical model rooted in change management theories, using data. Quality Matters (QM) was used to recruit 12 participants from various institutions, who were faculty, staff members, or administrators with quality assurance experience in online education. QM Senior Research Colleagues, which consists of faculty at QM . . . partnered institutions, developed five open-ended questions for participant interviews. An initial thematic analysis and a second qualitative analysis using “Atlas” software were conducted on transcribed interview data.The researchers identified five themes that roughly aligned to the steps in the CEQA model. They note that most participants felt their institutions were at level 2 or 3, with no participants reporting feeling their institutions were at level 5. The researchers suggest future research might consider the CEQA steps as flexible, with possibilities for leveling up and down. They suggest these levels might change depending on campus leadership, and that some programs, departments, or campuses (in a state system) might be at a different level than their peers.
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Reducing the prior-knowledge achievement gap by using technology-assisted guided learning in an undergraduate chemistry course

Anna Lou     Suzanne Jaeggi

APA Citation

Lou, A. J., & Jaeggi, S. M. (2020). Reducing the prior‐knowledge achievement gap by using technology‐assisted guided learning in an undergraduate chemistry course. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 57(3), 368-392.

Annotation

“This study tests the efficacy of using an evidence-based instructional too, TAGL, comparing it with a self-paced intervention & traditional educational approaches, such as lecturing. The researchers explain that their purpose was to (a) test a low-cost technology and integrate evidence-based educational practices in order to understand student-centered learning (b)compare short-term and long-term efficacy with other approaches (c) compare students learning differences between students with . . . low-level & high-level prior knowledge levels (d) “”investigate how prior-knowledge level would influence specific guidance effects
(PKA effect and feedback timing effect) on learning outcomes in both the short term and long term in order
to offer new recommendations for more effective and adaptive instructional designs”” (p. 374). To meet this purpose, using a chemistry class as the setting, a randomized control trial using a three by three experiemential design was used to collect data. The results were positive. When compared to other educational approaches, “”the students using TAGL outperformed their active control peers by more than one standard deviation immediately after the intervention, an advantage that remained largely intact at the longitudinal follow-up”” (p. 385). This article will be helpful for instructional designers, researchers, and instructors who are interested in learning more about adaptive learning. The authors give close attention to the importance of integrating evidence-based instructional practices and using reliable research to test those practices. As the authors explain, “”As such, our work has not only theoretical implications on learning theories and instructional design theories but also practical implications for improving guided student-centered learning and improving STEM achievement for all”” (p. 374). “

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Reflections, Challenges, and Strategies for Online Academic Instruction: A Faculty Perspective on the Rapid Transition from Face-to-face to Online Instruction During the COVID-19 Crisis

Robbie Bishop-Monroe

APA Citation

Bishop-Monroe, R. (2020). Reflections, challenges, and strategies for online academic instruction: A faculty perspective on the rapid transition from face-to-face to online instruction during the COVID-19 crisis. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 23(4). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter234/monroe234.html

Annotation

“In this article, the author documents and reflects on experiences quickly transitioning accounting courses from face-to-face into an online format quickly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The author offers suggestions for faculty and administrators for successful online learning. The suggestions for faculty include utilizing student feedback, hosting synchronous sessions, recording and posting videos of synchronous sessions and videos explaining course logistics, providing prompt responses to . . . student inquiries, offering more flexibility to meet student needs, finding ways to account for student personal needs including accommodations, keeping track of changes and ways to improve the course, and applying the Quality Matters (QM) standards. The suggestions for administrators include offering support to faculty, having a technology support system for faculty and students, and offering clear and consistent communication in uncertainty.
“

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Reflections, Challenges, and Strategies for Online Academic Instruction: A Faculty Perspective on the Rapid Transition from Face-to-face to Online Instruction During the COVID-19 Crisis

Robbie Bishop-Monroe

APA Citation

Bishop-Monroe, R. (2020). Reflections, challenges, and strategies for online academic instruction: A faculty perspective on the rapid transition from face-to-face to online instruction during the COVID-19 crisis. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 23(4). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter234/monroe234.html

Annotation

“In this article, the author documents and reflects on experiences quickly transitioning accounting courses from face-to-face into an online format quickly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The author offers suggestions for faculty and administrators for successful online learning. The suggestions for faculty include utilizing student feedback, hosting synchronous sessions, recording and posting videos of synchronous sessions and videos explaining course logistics, providing prompt responses to . . . student inquiries, offering more flexibility to meet student needs, finding ways to account for student personal needs including accommodations, keeping track of changes and ways to improve the course, and applying the Quality Matters (QM) standards. The suggestions for administrators include offering support to faculty, having a technology support system for faculty and students, and offering clear and consistent communication in uncertainty.
“

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Strategic Hiring: Using Job Analysis to Effectively Select Online Faculty

Laura Lohman

APA Citation

Lohman, L. (2020). Strategic hiring: Using job analysis to effective select online faculty. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 23(3). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall233/lohman233.html

Annotation

“This article outlines how human resources practices and “job analysis” focusing on “KSAs” (i.e., knowledge, skills and abilities) could be utilized to hire high quality online teaching faculty. The author suggests that the job analysis used to hire faculty to teach online needs to reflect the institution and the specific role(s) they see the online faculty filling, since not all possible roles of being online faculty (e.g., course designer, advisor etc.) might be expected for online faculty at . . . all institutions. The author outlines the job analysis process including identifying the most important tasks for the position, prioritizing the tasks, and identifying the KSAs related to those tasks.
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The Administration of Online Programs in Statewide Systems: A Case Study of The University System of New Hampshire

Chris LaBelle     Patrick Lowenthal     Kerry Rice

APA Citation

LaBelle, C. L., Lowenthal, P. R., & Rice, K. (2020). The administration of online programs in statewide systems: A case study of the University System of New Hampshire. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 23(2). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer232/labelle_lowenthal_rice232.html

Annotation

This study sought to better understand how statewide systems administer online programs. The study research questions were: (1) “How are online programs administered by institutions affiliated with a public statewide system?, (2) “What are advantages and disadvantages of administering online programs in a public statewide system?”, and (3) “How do participants prioritize online administration tasks?” The researchers conducted their exploratory case study on the University System of New . . . Hampshire, which includes the University of New Hampshire, Keene State College, Granite State College, and Plymouth State University. The researchers circulated a survey to specific administrators within the University of New Hampshire System that were either directly or indirectly managing online programs. In total, 18 administrators completed the survey, and 6 administrators completed additional interviews. The researchers used “Grounded Theory” to analyze the qualitative data, and reported three primary findings: (1) a lacking “common vocabulary” for discussing online programs within the system, (2) a primary focus on the individual institution operations over the system as a collective, and (3) the importance of a strategic plan if collaborating at the system level.

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The effects of online and blended experience on outcomes in a blended learning environment

Carlos Asarta     James Schmidt

APA Citation

Asarta, C. J., & Schmidt, J. R. (2020). The effects of online and blended experience on outcomes in a blended learning environment. The Internet and Higher Education, 44, 29-38. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2019.100708

Annotation

This study examined student performance in a blended course within the context of their prior experience with online and/or blended courses to see if experience with a fully or semi-online course impacts performance outcome. The study took place at large, 4-year public institution; the data came from 509 students in a flipped introductory level business and economics statistics course. Students self reported if they had previously taken zero, one, or two or more blended/online courses. . . . Conclusion: The data from this study does not support a general conclusion about experience with online/blended learning and performance in subsequent blended courses. The only group with a statistically significant course outcome was high-achieving transfer students (with a GPA of 3.5 and above) who performed 1/3-2/3 letter grades higher than all other students due to their experience with blended courses.

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The Linguistic Deception of the Phrase Best Practices: A Critical Analysis of Articles Discussion “Best” Practices in Online Learning

David Johnson     Jennifer Cox

APA Citation

Johnson, D., & Cox, J. (2020). The lingustic deception of the phrase best practices: A critical analysis of articles discussion “best” practices in online learning. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 23(1). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring231/Johnson_cox231.html

Annotation

“This article describes a linguistic study examining the “best practices” phrasing found in articles about online teaching. To conduct the study, the researchers used ERIC and ProQuest Education databases to find articles with “online learning” located within the title, and “best practices” found somewhere in the article. They explored how “best practices” phrasing was used, and supported, in the article, and specific suggestions described in 35 articles. The researchers report that only one . . . article defined “best practices,” and only 14% included any empirical (quantitative or qualitative) research to support the best practices. The researchers note that 63% of the articles offered a literature review or a discussion of the author’s own practices, while not providing research support to the “best” practice. Additional analysis, using corpus linguistics, provided a mix between tentative and more set phrasing around the use of the “best practices” phrasing, which the authors suggest questions the merit of using “best” in the phrasing. Instead, the researchers suggest using the terms “strategies” or “principles” when describing practices that are often identified as “best practices.”
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Uncovering the Challenges and Leadership Practices of Virtual School Principals

David Gustafson     MD Haque

APA Citation

Gustafson, D. C., & Haque, M.D. (2020). Uncovering the challenges and leadership practices of virtual school principals. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 23(4). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter234/gustafson_haque234.html

Annotation

“The qualitative research study presented in this article sought to examine administrative challenges for K-12 virtual school principals. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) “What are the contemporary leadership challenges for principals in virtual school?”, and (2) “How do virtual school principals responding to the challenges?” The research consisted of interviews with principals in California virtual schools serving K-12 or 6-12 students. The participants in the study . . . consisted of nine public school principals, eight private school principals, and three charter school principals. School student enrollment sizes for the principals ranged from 55 students to 6,300 students. Results of qualitative analysis on the interview data lead the researchers to identify five primary themes relating to the challenges that these principals face: “time,” “parent/family involvement,” “professional development,” “social-emotional well-being,” and “policy.”
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A Cross-Institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?

Tanya Joosten     Rachel Cusatis

APA Citation

Joosten, T., & Cusatis, R. (2019). A cross-institutional study of instructional characteristics and student outcomes: Are quality indicators of online courses able to predict student success? Online Learning, 23(4), 354-378. doi:10.24059/olj.v23i4.1432

Annotation

“Quantitative study examining instructional characteristics of quality in online courses conducted two public midwestern universities, one 4-year doctoral granting institution and one 2-year technical school. Data was collected via a student survey of student perceptions of the instructional characteristics of their courses, their learning, and satisfaction readiness and the institutions’ student information systems including demographic and performance data. The survey asked students to . . . report on six areas of the instructional characteristics: learner support, design and organization, content, interactivity with instructor, interactivity with peers, and assessment, along with their perceptions of learning and satisfaction. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between instructional characteristics and student outcome, with hierarchical regressions used to account for theoretically importance of instructional characteristics and student demographics. “MANOVA was used to examine any differences between the vector of means in the four underrepresented groups” (p. 364). Results indicated in student’s perceptions of learning, design and organization, content, interactivity with instructor, and learner support significantly predicted learning, yet learner support negatively impacted student learning, with interactivity with and assessment showing no significant contribution. In student’s perceptions of satisfaction, learner support and design and organization significantly predicted student satisfaction, however there was no significance when examining content interactivity with instructor, interactivity with peers, and assessment. In student’s perceptions of online performance, interactivity with instructor significantly and negatively influenced final grade and there was no significant contribution of learner support, design and organization, content, interactivity with peers, and assessment. “Post hoc tests revealed that students with disabilities reported significantly lower perceptions of their content than students who did not have a disability, and low-income students reported significantly higher perceptions of content, interactivity with instructor, and interactivity” (p. 367). For solely underrepresented students’ perceptions of their learning design and organization, interactivity with instructors, and content significantly predicted learning. For solely underrepresented students’ perceptions of their satisfaction design and organization and assessment significantly predicted satisfaction. For solely underrepresented students’ perceptions of their academic performance content and interactivity with their instructor significantly predicted performance, yet instructor interactivity had an inverse relationship with performance. Conclusions: Design and organization positively influenced student’s perceptions of learning and satisfaction, learner support positively influenced satisfaction, interactions with instructor can predict student learning, content design and delivery positively relates to student perceptions of learning and academic performance, assessment is positively related to satisfaction.
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