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1. Research on Students’ Perceptions
of Web-Based Instruction
When you are conducting research related to distance
education and online learning, you must establish
baseline information about the condition that will be
replaced by distance education or online learning
programs, the reactions of the individuals involved, and
ways to evaluate achievement or learning outcomes.
(Clark)
8/25/2014 Online Learning Concept, Strategies, and Application, (Dabbagh-Ritland) 1

2. Topic : Student Experience and
Perceptions of Online Learning
Comparison students’ and tutors’ experiences
and learning outcomes of internet-Based and
More Conventionally Delivered Distance
Education Courses.
Carswell & Colleagues (2000)
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 2

3. Description/Procedures
• Mixed method qualitative analysis and Quasi-experimental
comparison of traditional and Internet-based courses
• Virtually identical course with the exception of delivery
format
• Used email, conferencing and Web forms
• 300 Internet students; 150 conventional students that had
tutors who also had Internet students; 50 conventional
students who had tutors who only dealt with conventional
students
• Examined differences in reported experiences among groups
• Analyzed background experience and learning style
questionnaire and final grades
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 3

4. Results
• Internet and conventional instruction groups were similar in personal attributes
and learning outcome
• Internet population had slightly higher rate of attrition (not completing course)
than conventional group
• Conventional students recorded an increased preference for the theorist
(analytical, prefer to maximize certainty and dislike irrelevance) learning style over
the Internet students
• Return of assignment feedback was reported to be faster by Internet students than
conventional students (1 week vs. 2 weeks)
• Internet students contacted their tutors more often (on average 20 times vs. 5
times for conventional students)
• No significant differences in learning outcomes
• Internet perceived as more robust and reliable model for getting answers to
questions
• Students perceived increased interaction with tutors and other students
• Extended learning experience through problem sharing and gaining internet
expertise
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 4

5. Instructional Strategies/Activities
Suggested
• Instructor should provide instruction using the
Internet to support faster response, interaction
and feedback to students.
• Instructor should expect an increase of
communication between the instructor and
individual students in an Internet based course.
• Internet courses can extend learning beyond
course material in providing opportunities for
sharing problems related to content and increase
online expertise.
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 5

6. Topic : Student Experience and
Perceptions of Online Learning
Consistency, Contact and Communication in the
Virtual Classroom
Swan & Colleagues (2000)
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 6

7. Description/Procedures
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis of online survey
responses of 1,108 students in 73 online courses at the state
University of New York (SUNY)
• Examined relationships among reported student satisfaction
and perceived learning, interaction with faculty and peers and
course attributes
• Used Lotus Notes in all courses
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 7

8. Results
• Students chose online courses for reasons related to conflicts in personal
schedule (37%), family responsibilities (15%) over distance or lack of
transportation (12%)
• Students who perceived high levels of interaction with the instructor and
their peers reported higher levels of satisfaction and learning over those
who students who thought they had less interaction
• Students who reported higher levels of activity also reported higher levels
of satisfaction and learning
• Online courses were generally small with one third having ten or fewer
students, one half of courses between 11 and 20 students and only 4
percent having more than 30 students
• Few courses had multiple links to external sites (26% with less than 10
links) and 41% of the courses with no outside links
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 8

9. Results
• Two thirds of the courses did not link by association within the
course
• 74% of courses had weekly assignments
• Three quarters of courses had 10-50% of course grades based on
contribution to online discussions
• The greater the percentage of course grade based on online
discussions, students felt more satisfied, experienced more
interaction and they learned more
• The greater the percentage of the grade based on cooperative
work, the less the students felt they learned
• The greater the consistency across modules, the more satisfied
students were and the more they thought they learned
• The lower the number of modules in a course the more students
felt they learned
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 9

10. Instructional Strategies/Activities
Suggested
• Smaller classes of 11-20 students may be optimal to
support interaction in online courses
• Interaction with instructors is critical to the success of
online courses
• Interaction with peers is also important to consider when
designing courses
• Creating active learning opportunities, reducing the
number of outside links and providing a greater percentage
of grades on online discussion participation may impact
student perception of courses
• A smaller number of modules that are consistent in design
may influence student’s perception of their learning
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 10

11. Topic : Student Experience and
Perceptions of Online Learning
Students’ Frustration with a Web-based
Distance Education Course
Hara & Kling (1999)
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 11

12. Description/Procedures
• Qualitative case study examining issues of frustration for
students in a Web-based course
• In-depth study of 4 of 6 graduate students
• Interviews, observations of students interacting with Web site
with talk aloud protocols, course transcripts, emails
communication
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 12

13. Results
• Student perspectives on sources of frustration were generally related to
technological problems, minimal and non-timely feedback from instructor and
ambiguous instructions for assignments
• These frustrations so overwhelmed a few of the students that they reported
they would not be interested in taking an online course in the future because
of these problems
• Computer competence may impact frustration levels as one student with little
computer experience expressed extreme frustration with a synchronous
learning activity, while another student with additional computer experience
expressed positive reaction to the same assignment
• Students expressed anxiety related to falling behind in course messages,
dealing with information overload and spending more time online than
expected
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14. Results
• Lack of physical presence of the instructor contributed to frustration in
feelings of inadequate amount and lack of immediate of feedback on
students progression in course,
• Inappropriate prerequisite information and time pressure contributed to
some students feeling of frustration with the course
• Ambiguous instructions on the Web created frustration - instructor
perceived instructions as flexible while students felt they were ambiguous
and needed additional clarification
• Students felt they were guessing what the instructor wanted and did not
always communicate their frustration to the instructor
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 14

15. Instructional Strategies/Activities
Suggested
• Technology support needs to be provided for online learning
contexts
• Instructors should consider increasing frequency and timeliness of
feedback in a Web-based course to prevent student frustration
• Adequate assessment of computer competence and prerequisite
skills of students should be conducted prior to the start of online
course
• Instructors in Web-based courses should take care not to
overwhelm students with large amounts of messages online
• Directions and instructions in the online context need to be clear
and unambiguous
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 15

16. Topic :
Faculty and Instructor Perspectives
on Online Learning
Perspectives of Traditional and Distance Learning
Higher Education Faculty
The National Education Association (NEA) (2000)
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 16

17. Description/Procedures
• Quantitative and qualitative information gleaned from
interviews with 402 distance learning faculty and 130
traditional faculty
• Participants were considered distance learning faculty if
taught a distance learning course in last five years
• Distance learning course was defined as one in which more
than half the instruction was delivered online when students
and faculty are in different locations
• NEA members teach primarily at public two and four year
colleges and universities with graduate students
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18. Results
• One in 10 higher education NEA members teach a distance learning course
• Faculty teaching distance learning courses and those teaching traditional
courses have similar profiles in education, tenure status and content taught
• Faculty who teach Web-based courses have more positive opinions about
distance learning courses than those who teach traditional courses
• NEA faculty primarily use Web-based, chat room and threaded discussion
group technologies with email as the dominant means of communication
outside of class
• Technical support is significantly more important to faculty’s feelings about
distance learning rather than the type of institution or students
• Faculty teaching distance learning courses function as the designer of content
(37%), manager of information (20%) or both (41%)
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19. Results
• Over half (53% spend more hours per week preparing and delivering
distance learning courses than traditional
• Majority (84%) get no course reduction for teaching online courses
• Faculty teaching Web-based courses give these courses a better rating
than traditional courses in access to information, providing high quality
course material, assisting students in mastering subject matter, assessing
effectiveness of course, and addressing student learning styles
• Faculty teaching Web based courses give their distance learning course
the same rating as traditional courses on improving quantitative skills,
developing student interactivity, strengthening group problem solving
skills
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 19

20. Instructional Strategies/Activities
Suggested
• Providing technical support and gaining experience in
teaching online are important factors to consider to
promote faculty’s positive feelings toward Web-based
instruction
• Providing training for faculty is important so that they can
function adequately as course designers and managers
• Consider compensation for increased faculty time in
preparing and delivering online courses
• Consider online courses when faculty goals include
providing high quality course material, assisting students in
mastering subject matter, assessing effectiveness of course,
and addressing student learning styles
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 20

21. Topic :
Faculty and Instructor Perspectives
on Online Learning
Motivating and Inhibiting Factors for Faculty
Participation in Distance Learning
Schifter (2000)
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 21

22. Description/Procedures
• Survey of 263 faculty including 11 administrators at a large
research I higher education institution in the United States.
• Examining the top 5 motivating and inhibiting factors for
participating in distance learning courses
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 22

23. Results
• All three groups rated personal motivation to use technology high in the top
three and opportunity to develop new ideas
• Administrators and non-participants rated intellectual challenge as a strong
motivator
• Personal motivation to use technology was rated third by non-participants but
first by participating faculty and administration
• Reduced teaching load was rated extremely low by participants (27th), but
less so by non-participants (19th) and administrators (16th)
• Both faculty groups rated credit toward promotion and tenure lower than
administration who ranked it in the top five
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24. Results
• Significant differences were found for opportunity to use personal
research as a teaching tool, support and encouragement from department
colleagues and technical support provided by the institution, career
exploration and merit pay
• Non-participating faculty rated support from dept. colleagues and career
exploration lower than administrators and participating faculty
• Participators rated opportunity to use personal research as teaching tool
high
• All three groups rated lack of technical support as top inhibiting factor for
faculty participation in distance education
• Administrators agreed with both faculty groups on concern about faculty
workload and lack of release time as top inhibiting factors
• Administrators agreed with participation faculty that lack of grants is a
strong inhibiting factor
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 24

25. Instructional Strategies/Activities
Suggested
• Capitalize on intrinsic factors such as personal
interest and intellectual challenge in technology
to motivate faculty to use distance learning
methods in their courses
• Provide adequate institutional support,
technological infrastructure for online courses
• Provide support in workload, release time and
grant opportunities as a means to encourage
faculty to use distance learning methods in
courses
8/25/2014 www.prenhall.com/dabbagh 25