Many online learning experiences integrate some form of dialogic interaction among instructors and learners. However, the degree to which these individuals come to a mutual understanding of their task and topic, a phenomenon called intersubjectivity, often remains a question. This systematic review of online learning research examines 48 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2004 and 2021, looking at the overall trajectory of the research conversation across time, disciplines, modality and learning activities; major trends in methods, and focus; and interconnectedness. Findings suggest a dispersed body of literature, with some small groups of interconnected work but little cohesion or traction as a research field. This review has implications for future researchers in this area, who are encouraged to synthesize across this body of research and work together to establish and pursue an agenda for the field that will not only further inquiry in this area but also lead to practical knowledge about learning activity design and facilitation that is useful to online instructors.
{"title":"A systematic Review of Research on Intersubjectivity in Online Learning: Illuminating Opportunities for Cohesion and Mutual Understanding in the Research Conversation","authors":"V. Dennen, Barbara M. Hall, A. Hedquist","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i1.3430","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3430","url":null,"abstract":"Many online learning experiences integrate some form of dialogic interaction among instructors and learners. However, the degree to which these individuals come to a mutual understanding of their task and topic, a phenomenon called intersubjectivity, often remains a question. This systematic review of online learning research examines 48 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2004 and 2021, looking at the overall trajectory of the research conversation across time, disciplines, modality and learning activities; major trends in methods, and focus; and interconnectedness. Findings suggest a dispersed body of literature, with some small groups of interconnected work but little cohesion or traction as a research field. This review has implications for future researchers in this area, who are encouraged to synthesize across this body of research and work together to establish and pursue an agenda for the field that will not only further inquiry in this area but also lead to practical knowledge about learning activity design and facilitation that is useful to online instructors. ","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49526741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Online assessment is defined as a systematic method of gathering information about a learner and learning processes to draw inferences about the learner’s dispositions. Online assessments provide opportunities for meaningful feedback and interactive support for learners as well as possible influences on the engagement of learners and learning outcomes. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to identify and synthesize original research studies focusing on online assessments in higher education. Out of an initial set of 4,290 publications, a final sample of 114 key publications was identified, according to predefined inclusion criteria. The synthesis yielded four main categories of online assessment modes: peer, teacher, automated, and self-assessment. The synthesis of findings supports the assumption that online assessments have promising potential in supporting and improving online learning processes and outcomes. A summary of success factors for implementing online assessments includes instructional support as well as clear-defined assessment criteria. Future research may focus on online assessments harnessing formative and summative data from stakeholders and learning environments to facilitate learning processes in real-time and help decision-makers to improve learning environments, i.e., analytics-
{"title":"Online Assessment in Higher Education: A Systematic Review","authors":"Joana Heil, Dirk Ifenthaler","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i1.3398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3398","url":null,"abstract":"Online assessment is defined as a systematic method of gathering information about a learner and learning processes to draw inferences about the learner’s dispositions. Online assessments provide opportunities for meaningful feedback and interactive support for learners as well as possible influences on the engagement of learners and learning outcomes. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to identify and synthesize original research studies focusing on online assessments in higher education. Out of an initial set of 4,290 publications, a final sample of 114 key publications was identified, according to predefined inclusion criteria. The synthesis yielded four main categories of online assessment modes: peer, teacher, automated, and self-assessment. The synthesis of findings supports the assumption that online assessments have promising potential in supporting and improving online learning processes and outcomes. A summary of success factors for implementing online assessments includes instructional support as well as clear-defined assessment criteria. Future research may focus on online assessments harnessing formative and summative data from stakeholders and learning environments to facilitate learning processes in real-time and help decision-makers to improve learning environments, i.e., analytics-","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44145649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This scoping review summarizes studies on passive participation in collaborative online learning activities that used computer-mediated communication tools in school settings. A total of 42 articles spanning about 20 years were explored. ERIC and three main journal indexes from Web of Science were used to locate articles. For each year searched, there were only one to five studies that investigated passive participation, indicating that not many researchers have examined this topic in general. Most studies used mixed methods and were conducted in higher education settings in asynchronous online discussions. Three terms have been used to discuss the notion of passive participation: lurking for read-only behavior, legitimate peripheral participation for low contribution, and free riding for no contribution. Studies on passive participation have mainly explored four topical areas: motivational factors and reasons, participation types and behavioral patterns, effect on learning outcomes, and pedagogical strategies for de-lurking. Most studies have investigated passive participation as one of the behavior patterns among various types of participation. A few studies have solely examined read-only behaviors. The notion of passive participation varies among researchers and should therefore be redefined. Overall, there have been few studies on the topic of passive participation and those that have been conducted reveal some inconsistencies in their findings, indicating the topic requires further investigation. Future studies on this topic are urgently needed due to the forced shift to online courses precipitated by the pandemic. While instructors are also responsible for supporting their learners in this unprecedented context, researchers should investigate ways to help instructors better understand passive participants and encourage active learner participation in collaborative online learning space.
{"title":"Passive Participation in Collaborative Online Learning Activities: A Scoping Review of Research in Formal School Learning Settings","authors":"Hajeen Choi, Jaesung Hur","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i1.3414","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3414","url":null,"abstract":"This scoping review summarizes studies on passive participation in collaborative online learning activities that used computer-mediated communication tools in school settings. A total of 42 articles spanning about 20 years were explored. ERIC and three main journal indexes from Web of Science were used to locate articles. For each year searched, there were only one to five studies that investigated passive participation, indicating that not many researchers have examined this topic in general. Most studies used mixed methods and were conducted in higher education settings in asynchronous online discussions. Three terms have been used to discuss the notion of passive participation: lurking for read-only behavior, legitimate peripheral participation for low contribution, and free riding for no contribution. Studies on passive participation have mainly explored four topical areas: motivational factors and reasons, participation types and behavioral patterns, effect on learning outcomes, and pedagogical strategies for de-lurking. Most studies have investigated passive participation as one of the behavior patterns among various types of participation. A few studies have solely examined read-only behaviors. The notion of passive participation varies among researchers and should therefore be redefined. Overall, there have been few studies on the topic of passive participation and those that have been conducted reveal some inconsistencies in their findings, indicating the topic requires further investigation. Future studies on this topic are urgently needed due to the forced shift to online courses precipitated by the pandemic. While instructors are also responsible for supporting their learners in this unprecedented context, researchers should investigate ways to help instructors better understand passive participants and encourage active learner participation in collaborative online learning space.","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46380739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this qualitative case study, we investigated how active learning strategies discussed and practiced in the face-to-face classroom context were transferred to an online modality by four faculty fellows of Indiana University’s Mosaic Faculty Fellows Program. This program is intended to support faculty members’ perception of how classroom space influences approaches to active learning. In 2020, all faculty members had to transition their courses online, and the semi-structured interview findings of this study showed that faculty members used three online space types to support the continued use of active learning approaches when transitioning to online: (1) core space to replicate existing practices (e.g., video conference and text), (2) shared space to supplement existing practices, and (3) augmented space to transform existing practices (e.g., activities that merge the physical world and online space). We concluded that preparing faculty members to effectively use active learning approaches in in-person classrooms can also guide active learning approaches in online teaching environments. The study also discussed the need for professional development programs that address support for active learning in different modalities by considering augmented space and its impact on student engagement.
{"title":"Faculty Transition Strategies from In Person to Online Teaching: Qualitative Investigation for Active Learning","authors":"Merve Basdogan, Tracey Birdwell","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i1.3229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3229","url":null,"abstract":"In this qualitative case study, we investigated how active learning strategies discussed and practiced in the face-to-face classroom context were transferred to an online modality by four faculty fellows of Indiana University’s Mosaic Faculty Fellows Program. This program is intended to support faculty members’ perception of how classroom space influences approaches to active learning. In 2020, all faculty members had to transition their courses online, and the semi-structured interview findings of this study showed that faculty members used three online space types to support the continued use of active learning approaches when transitioning to online: (1) core space to replicate existing practices (e.g., video conference and text), (2) shared space to supplement existing practices, and (3) augmented space to transform existing practices (e.g., activities that merge the physical world and online space). We concluded that preparing faculty members to effectively use active learning approaches in in-person classrooms can also guide active learning approaches in online teaching environments. The study also discussed the need for professional development programs that address support for active learning in different modalities by considering augmented space and its impact on student engagement.","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48829492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Wright, T. Carley, Raisa Alarakyia-Jivani, Sameer Nizamuddin
What are the features of high-quality online courses in higher education? In this scoping review, we explore peer-reviewed scholarship related to the features of online learning in postsecondary contexts. We searched ERIC (EBSCO), Education Research Complete, and SocINDEX with Fulltext to retrieve peer-reviewed literature from 2010-2022 pertaining to features of online learning in higher education. Two reviewers independently conducted the initial title and abstract screening (n = 1,574), full text review (n = 483), and data extraction of the included articles (n = 38). Using thematic content analysis to explore the data extracted from each article, we found that the literature predominately included scholarship related to quality online course design, instructor facilitation in online courses, quality assessment of online courses, and student engagement in online courses. The breadth of these themes included a multiplicity of strategies and approaches to consider when designing online learning experiences. We recommend that administrators, faculty members, and instructors responsible for designing online courses and programs for postsecondary contexts continue to incorporate these considerations to promote high-quality and consistent online offerings. We conclude the review by presenting four high-level considerations to guide these discussions.
高等教育中高质量在线课程的特点是什么?在这篇范围界定综述中,我们探讨了与中学后环境中在线学习特征相关的同行评审学术。我们搜索了ERIC(EBSCO)、Education Research Complete和SocINDEX全文,检索了2010-2022年与高等教育在线学习特征相关的同行评审文献。两名评审员分别对收录的文章进行了初始标题和摘要筛选(n=1574)、全文评审(n=483)和数据提取(n=38)。使用主题内容分析来探索从每篇文章中提取的数据,我们发现文献主要包括与优质在线课程设计、在线课程中的讲师辅导、在线课程的质量评估和学生对在线课程的参与度相关的奖学金。这些主题的广度包括在设计在线学习体验时需要考虑的多种策略和方法。我们建议负责为中学后环境设计在线课程和计划的管理员、教员和讲师继续考虑这些因素,以促进高质量和一致的在线课程。在审查结束时,我们提出了四项高级别考虑,以指导这些讨论。
{"title":"Features of High-Quality Online Courses in Higher Education: A Scoping Review","authors":"A. Wright, T. Carley, Raisa Alarakyia-Jivani, Sameer Nizamuddin","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i1.3411","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3411","url":null,"abstract":"What are the features of high-quality online courses in higher education? In this scoping review, we explore peer-reviewed scholarship related to the features of online learning in postsecondary contexts. We searched ERIC (EBSCO), Education Research Complete, and SocINDEX with Fulltext to retrieve peer-reviewed literature from 2010-2022 pertaining to features of online learning in higher education. Two reviewers independently conducted the initial title and abstract screening (n = 1,574), full text review (n = 483), and data extraction of the included articles (n = 38). Using thematic content analysis to explore the data extracted from each article, we found that the literature predominately included scholarship related to quality online course design, instructor facilitation in online courses, quality assessment of online courses, and student engagement in online courses. The breadth of these themes included a multiplicity of strategies and approaches to consider when designing online learning experiences. We recommend that administrators, faculty members, and instructors responsible for designing online courses and programs for postsecondary contexts continue to incorporate these considerations to promote high-quality and consistent online offerings. We conclude the review by presenting four high-level considerations to guide these discussions. ","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45891154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This systematic review examined research on moderators in asynchronous online discussions (AODs) through a review of 52 sources published over the past four decades. Areas of interest included conceptual frameworks cited in research, publication trends, instructional contexts, research methods and characteristics, and descriptions of the role of the moderator with implications for practice. Results indicate: (1) nearly half of the publications did not cite a conceptual framework focused on moderation; (2) the field is diverse with a wide variety of themes for research designs, outcomes, foci, and questions; (3) half of reviewed publications involved case studies or similarly limited study designs; (4) the majority of publications collected data on students in higher education, but there was a lack of consistency in the reporting of demographic information; (5) research foci tended toward investigating peer moderators or the role of the instructor; (6) research questions tended to focus on strategies of moderators or student performance and discussion quality; (7) most definitions or expectations of a moderator included discussion and social management duties. We conclude by discussing the implications of some of the findings and future research options.
{"title":"A Systematic Review of Research on Moderators in Asynchronous Online Discussions","authors":"Michael Ahlf, Sara G. McNeil","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i1.3381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3381","url":null,"abstract":"This systematic review examined research on moderators in asynchronous online discussions (AODs) through a review of 52 sources published over the past four decades. Areas of interest included conceptual frameworks cited in research, publication trends, instructional contexts, research methods and characteristics, and descriptions of the role of the moderator with implications for practice. Results indicate: (1) nearly half of the publications did not cite a conceptual framework focused on moderation; (2) the field is diverse with a wide variety of themes for research designs, outcomes, foci, and questions; (3) half of reviewed publications involved case studies or similarly limited study designs; (4) the majority of publications collected data on students in higher education, but there was a lack of consistency in the reporting of demographic information; (5) research foci tended toward investigating peer moderators or the role of the instructor; (6) research questions tended to focus on strategies of moderators or student performance and discussion quality; (7) most definitions or expectations of a moderator included discussion and social management duties. We conclude by discussing the implications of some of the findings and future research options.","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47715837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Redmond, Megan Alexsen, S. Maloney, Joanna Turner, Alice V. Brown, Marita Basson, Linda Galligan, Jill Lawrence, R. Henderson
This paper reports on research that extends knowledge about higher education students’ perceptions of online engagement. In particular, the study aimed to identify what students thought engagement was and how they experienced it. Understanding students’ views about online engagement will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the topic and should assist instructional designers to support academic staff to develop online courses that are more likely to engage their students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study found that students felt most engaged with learning when doing practical, hands-on activities. Additional findings from the qualitative and quantitative data are highlighted, with some differences between the students’ perceptions in the different types of data, particularly concerning social engagement. This suggests that further research is warranted. The paper offers several practical implications for student learning.
{"title":"Student Perceptions of Online Engagement","authors":"P. Redmond, Megan Alexsen, S. Maloney, Joanna Turner, Alice V. Brown, Marita Basson, Linda Galligan, Jill Lawrence, R. Henderson","doi":"10.24059/olj.v27i1.3320","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3320","url":null,"abstract":"This paper reports on research that extends knowledge about higher education students’ perceptions of online engagement. In particular, the study aimed to identify what students thought engagement was and how they experienced it. Understanding students’ views about online engagement will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the topic and should assist instructional designers to support academic staff to develop online courses that are more likely to engage their students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study found that students felt most engaged with learning when doing practical, hands-on activities. Additional findings from the qualitative and quantitative data are highlighted, with some differences between the students’ perceptions in the different types of data, particularly concerning social engagement. This suggests that further research is warranted. The paper offers several practical implications for student learning.","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45861586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashley A. Hansen-Brown, S. Sullivan, Brianna Jacobson, Blake Holt, Shaelyn Donovan
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected how higher education operates, but relatively little is known about its effects on students enrolled in remote online classes. Across two data collection timepoints, we sought to examine college students’ experiences, focusing particularly on their sense of belonging/loneliness, their course formats, and their experiences in the pandemic. Though some findings differed between data collected in fall 2020 and in spring 2021, we generally found that students’ belonging/loneliness was linked with their class format, aspects of their virtual classes, social contact, and experiences in the pandemic. This research demonstrates the importance both of understanding students’ experiences in general and of continuing to study students’ experiences as we progress from one stage of the pandemic to the next.
{"title":"College Students’ Belonging and Loneliness in the Context of Remote Online Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Ashley A. Hansen-Brown, S. Sullivan, Brianna Jacobson, Blake Holt, Shaelyn Donovan","doi":"10.24059/olj.v26i4.3123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v26i4.3123","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected how higher education operates, but relatively little is known about its effects on students enrolled in remote online classes. Across two data collection timepoints, we sought to examine college students’ experiences, focusing particularly on their sense of belonging/loneliness, their course formats, and their experiences in the pandemic. Though some findings differed between data collected in fall 2020 and in spring 2021, we generally found that students’ belonging/loneliness was linked with their class format, aspects of their virtual classes, social contact, and experiences in the pandemic. This research demonstrates the importance both of understanding students’ experiences in general and of continuing to study students’ experiences as we progress from one stage of the pandemic to the next.","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41446168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In section II of this issue, we have 12 papers that have been reviewed through our regular submission process. These papers cover a variety of topics including argumentation in online discussion, project-based learning, authentic learning, belonging, professional development, as well as systematic reviews of literature in online education.
{"title":"INTRODUCTION TO SECTION II - VOLUME 26, ISSUE 4","authors":"Peter Shea","doi":"10.24059/olj.v26i4.3729","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v26i4.3729","url":null,"abstract":"In section II of this issue, we have 12 papers that have been reviewed through our regular submission process. These papers cover a variety of topics including argumentation in online discussion, project-based learning, authentic learning, belonging, professional development, as well as systematic reviews of literature in online education.","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47865980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The global COVID-19 lockdowns caused universities to shift from face-to-face instruction to online. Since online teaching was used as a supplement to the traditional in-person instruction before the pandemic in China, Chinese college students were forced to learn in fully online learning (FOL) environments with very little preparation. These first-time online students faced challenges that significantly impacted their confidence and ability to succeed as online learners. Fortunately, the instructor can play a crucial role in conducting early interventions to reduce students’ online learning anxiety but understanding these students’ expectations of their online instructor is necessary for using appropriate teaching strategies. As a result, this study investigates 439 first-time Chinese online students’ expectations of their instructor in FOL environments during the emergent transition. Results indicate that several characteristics are highly expected by new online Chinese learners, such as being familiar with technology, being knowledgeable about the subject, and respecting other students. This study is expected to point Chinese universities and others toward best practices in preparing their faculty members for online course instruction, thus further enhancing first-time online students’ learning experiences.
{"title":"First-Time Chinese Online Students’ Expectations of Their Instructors in Fully Online Learning Environments","authors":"Xi Lin","doi":"10.24059/olj.v26i4.3117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v26i4.3117","url":null,"abstract":"The global COVID-19 lockdowns caused universities to shift from face-to-face instruction to online. Since online teaching was used as a supplement to the traditional in-person instruction before the pandemic in China, Chinese college students were forced to learn in fully online learning (FOL) environments with very little preparation. These first-time online students faced challenges that significantly impacted their confidence and ability to succeed as online learners. Fortunately, the instructor can play a crucial role in conducting early interventions to reduce students’ online learning anxiety but understanding these students’ expectations of their online instructor is necessary for using appropriate teaching strategies. As a result, this study investigates 439 first-time Chinese online students’ expectations of their instructor in FOL environments during the emergent transition. Results indicate that several characteristics are highly expected by new online Chinese learners, such as being familiar with technology, being knowledgeable about the subject, and respecting other students. This study is expected to point Chinese universities and others toward best practices in preparing their faculty members for online course instruction, thus further enhancing first-time online students’ learning experiences.","PeriodicalId":93037,"journal":{"name":"Online learning : the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42207210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}