Internet Learning Volume 1, Number 1, Fall 2012 | Page 38

Online Courses: Student Preferences Survey

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create a “teaching presence” (Garrison, 2007). Hyo-Jeong and Bonk (2010) found that many
instructors facilitate collaborative learning by including assignments for small groups, often in a
mandatory participation structure, who are given a technology median such as a wiki or a
discussion forum. Thus collaborative learning results in collaborative writing.
A focus on collaborative learning may need to consider the level of instruction. Ravert
and Evans (2007) pilot investigation of preferences among university students suggest that a
preference for constructivist learning versus absolute instruction is developmental in nature with
lower-level students preferring absolute and valuing the interdependence of learners on each
other as they move into upper-level classes.
While collaborative writing is in vogue at many colleges, the increasing availability of
interactive video networking technologies may see the transformation of online collaborative
experiences to include experiences such as a classroom case discussion. A preference for video
demonstration in augmenting clinical skills was highlighted in a study of medical students as
being a useful learning tool (Gormley et al. 2009). Harris et al. (2009) suggest that students
entering medical school are anticipating an interactive, information-rich, individualized learning
environment that might also trigger a need for curriculum reform.
Research has also suggested differences between nontraditional learners and traditional
learners in e-learning environments (Miller and Mei-Yan 2003). The flexibility and convenience
of access to online courses are widely perceived as benefits to online instruction (Bolliger and
Wasilik 2009; Hill 2006). The “anywhere anytime” nature of online course delivery has
particular appeal to nontraditional students who often bring a myriad of family concerns and
workplace stress to the classroom. In a study directed specifically at the concerns of
nontraditional learners participating in online courses, Miller and Mei-Yan (2003) found that
group discussion and group projects as well as faculty engagement. In particularly, timely,
personalized responses from instructor to student were valued by online learners.
Some nontraditional programs are expanding the virtual classroom tools to make advising
appointments using software such as elucidate (Runyon 2010) to aid the nontraditional student. It
is not unusual for the college degree to be viewed more in terms of a workplace credential
among nontraditional students. Artino (2007) noted that task value was a significant predictor of
student performance and satisfaction in online learning and suggested that it be heightened by
integrating coursework with “real world” issues. Thus, task value, the sense that the course
material has immediate applicability and importance has been suggested as a key metric in
student motivation and performance.
Methods
To help re-design professional courses for hybrid and online delivery, an online survey was
administered to the current undergraduate and graduate students in the Health Systems
Management program in the spring semester of 2011. The content included questions about
students’ perceptions and experiences related to online learning. The questions were posted
online using Ultimate Survey and activated. An invitation to participate in the survey was
emailed to all of the students, both graduate and undergraduate on Tuesday, February 22, 2011.
Participation was voluntary and the IP addresses were collected to spot check for multiple
entries. The end date was March 14, 2011. A total of 53 students responded; 36 were
undergraduate and 17 were graduate students. The 36 undergraduates comprised a 21% sample