Editor’s Note: This research links theoretical and empirical knowledge of learning to demonstrate best practices from both faculty and learner perspectives.

Best Practices in Graduate Online Teaching:
Faculty Perspectives

Cynthia Gautreau, Chris Street, Barbara Glaeser
USA

Abstract

Graduate online programs are readily available at colleges and universities. Faculty who teach online programs should be well versed in adult learning theories and effective online instructional practices. Therefore, understanding and identifying the best practices rooted in adult learning theory among online instructors is an important factor as a means to improve online instruction. This article reports on the findings of a self evaluation study of eight faculty members that compares the instructional practices supported by adult learning principles (Knowles, 1980, 1992) and effective online instructional practices (Graham, Cagiltay, Lim, Craner, & Duffy, 2001) that reflect the Seven Principles of Effective Teaching (Chickering & Gamson, 1987, 1999). Implications for facilitation of web based instruction and instructional design in higher education are provided.

Keywords: asynchronous learning, online teaching, adult learning theory.

Introduction

The number of online courses at the graduate level has expanded during recent years and continues to grow at a rapid rate. Allen and Seaman (2007) assert that online enrollments have increased at a faster rate than higher education enrollments in general. As a result, there is a great deal of pressure for faculty to develop courses and teach them online (Wilson, 1998)  , However, many faculty members report limited professional development dedicated to helping them teach online courses (Tallent-Runnels et al., 2006). In fact, at most universities faculty are expected to make the leap from face-to-face classes to virtual ones with no significant training in effective online instructional practices (Wilson, 1998), even though instructors are aware of and express a need for training (Tallent-Runnels et al., 2006; Wilson, 1998) and training made a difference in their confidence as online instructors (Hinson & LaPrarie, 2005)   Effective professional development would positively benefit faculty teaching online.

Another important consideration is the recipients of online teaching in higher education. Faculty members who teach adults online would benefit from applying adult learning theory to their practice (McCallie & McKinzie, 1999). Knowles (1990) used the term androgogy to refer to the unique aspects to teaching adults as opposed to children and adolescents. Adult learners, according to Knowles, need an orientation to learning that is grounded in life experiences, provides immediate application, is self-directing rather than teacher directed, and allows for mutual inquiry. In fact, building a sense of community among students in virtual environments is an essential component of online instruction (Palloff & Pratt, 1999; Rovai, 2001). Thus, instructional practices that promote active engagement through involvement of the lives of the learners, immediate application of learning, and mutual problem solving are necessary when teaching adults in an online environment.

This paper presents data from a descriptive research study completed during spring 2008 designed to identify the best practices among faculty who teach in the Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) program.  The IDT program is an 18 month learning experience in which adults from both business and education fields learn instructional design of online courses and training. The design, development, and implementation of the online courses within the IDT program are individualized by each instructor, but an advisory team that includes all faculty in the IDT program meet regularly to evaluate the program.

There are multiple ways to measure the effectiveness of online instruction (Comeaux, 2005; Moallem, 2005). In addition, the need to perform a self-evaluation study to determine the online instructional practices that are successful is strongly supported in the literature (Richlin, 2007; Rolheiser, 1996).  This paper discusses a follow up study of a faculty self-assessment survey designed to examine the instructional practices of the IDT instructors. In recent years, the faculty described in this study had only assessed their practices from the students’ point of view. Consequently, there was need for a faculty perspective.

Method

Participants

An eight member faculty team who instruct in the Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) program participated in this study. The instructors represent various departments (Secondary Education, Reading, Educational Leadership, Special Education, and Elementary and Bilingual Education Departments) within a College of Education at a four year public university in southern California.  Five of the faculty who participated in this study have been instructing in the IDT program since its inception in 2001.  The remaining three faculty members have experience teaching in higher education and have taught online courses for one to three years.

Data Collection

All participants were surveyed twice during this study. The initial contact was an online survey (see Appendix A) deployed using a web based survey tool. The survey was self-administered by the participants and responses were anonymous. A three week time period was provided to accommodate varying schedules among participants. All of the surveys (N=8) were completed and returned during the initial survey period. The questions were scored using a five-point Likert scale that permitted the participants to respond to each question posed within the survey.

The second phase of the data collection occurred during a scheduled faculty meeting. The participants completed an open ended survey (see Appendix B) formatted using Microsoft Word. The second survey consisted of 34 questions that investigated specific online instructional practices employed among faculty. The questions in the open-ended survey were based on the initial results of the first web based survey distributed in this study. The surveys were completed during the meeting; this strategy was implemented to increase the response rate. One hundred percent of the surveys were completed during the first and second data collection attempts.

The final phase of the data collection was collected via email by a focus group of four participants. The faculty responded to 10 questions based on the Seven Principles of Effective Teaching (Chickering & Gamson, 1987, 1999) that investigated their specific instructional practices online (see Appendix C). The data collected from the focus group was analyzed to determine the specific instructional strategies that are used to facilitate instruction online.

Survey One: Questions

The first survey distributed was designed based on an instrument intended to assess online facilitation (Van Duzer et al., 2007). The instrument consisted of five sections and 43 questions; each section included was identified by research as a primary role of a web based instructor (Berge, 1995; Hootstein, 2002). The sections included androgogical (adult learning), social, managerial, and technical aspects of facilitating online instruction in higher education. Each survey question was formatted using an online survey tool and a five-point Likert scale was added to facilitate scoring among participants
(see Appendix C).

§  Section 1: Technical Aspects of Course Preparation

§  Section 2: Social Aspects

§  Section 3: Communicating Clear Expectations

§  Section 4:  Engagement Strategies and Motivation

§  Section 5: Instructional Practices

Section One contained six questions and was focused on the technical aspects of course preparation. As noted by Gibbons and Wentworth (2001) faculty who instruct online are presented with challenges including course design and integrating androgogical principles to self directed learners. The facilitation process varies from the traditional instruction in universities and requires faculty development.

The second section of the survey investigated the social aspect of instructing online. The questions focused on social forums, networking opportunities, as well as student and faculty introductions. As characterized by adult learning principles, adults excel in an environment that is both independent and interdependent (J. Brooks & G. Brooks, 1993; Knowles, 1980, 1992). The interdependency of the adult learner permits students to work effectively in a group and online environment. Understanding these specific characteristics about adult learners is imperative to teaching online courses and providing opportunities for students to interact socially in a virtual classroom.

The next survey section consisted of six questions and about communicating expectations and assisting students with technical difficulties within the online environment. As noted by Chickering and Gamson (1987, 1999) instructors should provide clear and consistent expectations for students to promote effective learning. Assessing the specific practices that faculty use to promote course expectations is essential to identify.

 Section Four, focused on social considerations of online instruction and included eight questions. The questions included netiquette guidelines, engagement strategies, and providing motivation and encouragement for students.  Knowles (1984, 1992) and Kimble (1999) affirm that adults have a propensity to be self-directing and possess life experiences thereby establishing their priorities. Providing a learning environment that promotes engagement and provides students opportunities to remain motivated about their learning lends itself well to online learning and adult instructional strategies.

The final section dealt primarily with specific instructional practices and had 14 questions.  Section Five addressed androgogical principles associated to teaching adults in an online environment. As indicated by Graham, Cagiltay, Lim, Craner, and Duffy (2001), the Seven Principles of Effective Teaching (Chickering & Gamson, 1987, 1999) may be applied as guidelines to evaluate online instruction.

As represented in Table 1 below, the principles outlined by Chickering and Gamson (1987, 1999) serve as a model for the evaluation guidelines created by Graham et al. (2001). Each principle can be applied to the online instructional environment to reinforce the effective teaching principles. This study compares the research findings and instructional practices among faculty to this criteria on good practices, online evaluation guidelines, and the adult learning theory.

Table 1

Survey Two: Questions

After responses from the initial data collection were analyzed, a series of open-ended questions were created to address the discrepancies among the respondents (Fink, 1995). The open-ended question format was used to explore reasons associated with the instructional practices among faculty. The second survey consisted of five overarching questions with five sub questions, for a total of 25 questions.   The first question addressed the use of graphics as visual organizers to teach theoretical concepts. Multimedia use and integration was addressed in the second question. The third question investigated the use of learning choices provided for adult learners within the online environment. The next series of questions explored a central adult learning principle; learning choices and the freedom to select one’s own group members. The final question set dealt with instructional practices and specifically the advantages and disadvantages of permitting students to submit working drafts.

Survey Three: Focus Group Questions

The data collection for the third survey was completed by four faculty who served as a focus group. The participants responded to an open ended set of questions based on the Seven Principles of Effective Teaching (Chickering & Gamson, 1987, 1999) and shared specific information about their instructional practices (see Appendix C).  The data from the focus group was used to explicitly understand the daily online practices that faculty include in their teaching.

Results

Based on the principles of adult learning theory (Knowles, 1980, 1992) and the effective online instructional practices that reflect the Seven Principles of Effective Teaching (Graham et al., 2001) the IDT faculty identified the following instructional strategies as components of their teaching repertoire. The first principle states that good instruction encourages student-faculty contact.   The online evaluation criteria reveals that clear guidelines for interaction with students should be provided by the instructor.

As displayed in Table 2 below, the response rate IDT faculty members practice strategies that promote contact between students and instructors. Communication was accomplished in a variety of ways including maintaining a personal presence on the discussion boards, communicating effectively with students, establishing a positive rapport with the class and by modeling and monitoring appropriate and respectful exchanges among students and faculty. The specific methods used by faculty include emails, discussion board postings, telephone conversations, setting a tone letting students know that they were approachable. One participant noted, “Lets the students know that I care about their success.” To communicate clear expectations faculty provide guidelines in the course syllabus that clearly state the netiquette expectations for the course.

Table 2

IDT Faculty Instructional Strategies that Reflect Principle Two: Cooperation

The second principle identified by Chickering and Gamson (1987, 1999) involves encouraging cooperative among students. This principle is applied to the evaluation of online courses by signifying that faculty should create assignments that are well designed and meaningful. The design strategy promotes meaningful exchanges and collaboration among students (Graham et al., 2001).

Table 3

As specified by the responses in Table 3, a majority of IDT faculty achieve cooperative interaction among students by organizing collaborative projects that require students to participate in pairs and groups. Furthermore, students self select their group members, thereby promoting control and self regulation for students and their learning.

Participants were questioned about permitting students to self select their group members and peer evaluation the results were similar among the faculty polled. Six of the eight faculty reported that they allowed for students to select their groups. The results from the instructors regarding the peer evaluation process were varied. When asked for the benefits of peer evaluation, responses included the ability to grade accurately because of peer evaluations indicated who was contributing to the group work. Most instructors stated that the students were reluctant to critique the work or skills of a peer for fear of being evaluated in a negative manner themselves. One instructor noted that some students did not know how to provide effective feedback and their caused difficulties among the cohort. When asked about the accuracy of peer evaluations two of the faculty that the assessments provided accurate information about group participation. The remaining six faculty members commented that the results were not a reflection of the group work that transpired during the course assignments.  Furthermore, an instructor added that providing students anonymous peer evaluations may increase the accuracy of responses and improve the peer evaluation process. At this time the anonymous peer evaluation process has not been field tested.

IDT Faculty Instructional Strategies that Reflect Principle Three: Active Learning

The third principle measured states that the instructor should encourage active learning within the course.  This principle is reflected in the evaluation of online courses by providing students with the opportunity to present their course projects and assignments and receive input from their classmates. Online instruction that is active will promote engagement among students.  

Table 4

 As revealed in Table 4, participants responded that they provide students with opportunities to learn content in a variety of ways thereby validating student’s diverse ways of learning. Furthermore, faculty indicated that active engagement and focused discussion questions are used in the courses taught within the IDT program.

At the forefront of adult learning theory (Knowles, 1980, 1992) is providing opportunities for learners to make choices. In the second open-ended survey faculty were asked about the learning choices provided to online students. All of the instructors polled provided students with options, including the formation of groups, because it provides students with a sense control and ownership over their learning experiences. Furthermore, participants commented on increased motivation and a heightened level of engagement as well as the commitment to the learning outcomes when students personalized their learning.  Although 50% of the faculty members agreed that providing learning choices increasing their teaching workload, they assert that it was worth the time based on student learning outcomes and achievement. Students reported in course evaluations and directly to the instructor that they appreciated having choices in their learning. Instructors noted that students seem to find their courses worthwhile, meaningful, and applications to their professional needs. Additionally, instructors stated that having choices allows adult learners to add life experiences and their own perspectives, including career and sources into their assignments thereby meeting the needs of adult learners. As noted by two faculty, the process of allowing for flexibility of students choices in their learning took time initially, but after the system was created the time factor was reduced. As noted by one instructor, “When I allowed more diversity, I received products that were in some ways more difficult to grade equitably with products other students had completed. But at the same time they were outstanding.” The use of rubrics is consistent among instructors when grading assignments that have been personalized by students. One participant commented that, “I began to publish my grading rubrics in the syllabus and told students that they just had to have all of the pieces listed on the rubric, but how they created those pieces was their decision.” Active learning is also encouraged by engaging in weekly online activities where students are encouraged to apply the concepts learned. To increase active engagement instructors make learning personal, relevant to career and education, and meaningful to students.

IDT Faculty Instructional Strategies that Reflect Principle Four: Prompt Feedback

The next principle is related to timely feedback provided to students by the instructor. The feedback should be prompt and provide practical content. Faculty who teach in the IDT program report that they consistently provide students with practical suggestions, encourage open lines of communications, and do so in a timely manner. As revealed in this initial survey, the participants indicated that they strongly agree (89%) to agree (11%) with the statement that they promptly respond to student questions within the timeline established in the course syllabus.

Table 5

One faculty member commented specifically about feedback to groups she stated that:

Feedback is most extensive and labor intensive on group research papers. Students must submit a draft two weeks before the paper is due so I can guide the further development of the paper. I use track changes to edit students’ writing and to make recommendations how to revise the content and coherency of the paper, and improve the quality of the paper.

The practices identified by IDT faculty are consistent with the criteria of good instructional practices, adult learning theories, and the guidelines for assessing online instruction. Prompt feedback to students is provided by email communication, discussion board forums designed specifically to respond to student questions, and telephone calls.

IDT Faculty Instructional Strategies that Reflect Principle Five: Time on Task

The fifth principle measured reflects the concept of time on task. As noted by Knowles (1980, 1992) adult learning principles, adults value the economy of effort and use their time effectively. Instructors should reflect time on task and promote learning that demonstrates the need to continue the learning process in the allotted time frame.  The majority of faculty responded that they provide students with suggestions, integrate transitions between topics and aid in promoting times on task.

Figure 6

As demonstrated within the responses, the faculty members’ value time on task and use a range of strategies to promote this skill during the coursework.  The transitions that instructors integrate into the online environment provide students with the information needed to shift from one topic to the next within the courses. The adult learning principles applied within the online courses reflect an understanding of the needs of students among faculty who teach for the IDT program. Participants added that to promote time on task they publish the course schedule and make it available to students online. Information pertaining to due dates, timelines, and scheduling is posted in the Announcements Section of the learning management system and emailed to students. One faculty added that she keeps students on task. She stated “I am clear about the penalties for late work.” Instructors emphasize to students that assignments should be completed within the published time frame.  Furthermore, the prevalence of rich and engaging online discussions required that students engage with the course materials on a substantive level each and every week.  Participants also reported spending considerable amounts of time reading, responding, and following up with students in their courses.  

IDT Faculty Instructional Strategies that Reflect Principle Six: High Expectations

The sixth principle identified by Chickering and Gamson (1987, 1999) is the need to express high expectations to students. There are numerous methods of communicating academic expectations in an online environment. Among those expressed by faculty are the implementations of rubrics that delineate the expectations for assignments, discussion board participation, and group collaboration.

Table 7

 Faculty reflected on their acceptance of drafts as one method of establishing high expectations for students. All participants stated that they permit student to submit drafts of written papers. Seven of the eight faculty commented that accepting drafts increases their workload, however the benefits outweigh the increased time. The benefits included an improved final product and enhanced student-teacher relationships. In contrast, when asked to list the disadvantages, instructors noted that a signification amount of time was added to their workload. In one case, the instructor felt frustrated to put in the extra time when students commonly ignore the feedback received. Furthermore, the same participant commented that they felt the students avoided performing their best because the draft would be submitted and they would receive feedback prior to the deadline. Four of the eight instructors initiated a peer evaluation as a method of reducing the editing workload on their part. While another three participants said that they were available to offer feedback on any assignment at any time. However, one of the instructors commented that they discourage students from submitting drafts of their work all together.

Alternatively, high expectations are communicated to students by faculty reviewing the components, deadlines, and standards for each assignment.  One participant commented that she explains to students that the assignment is challenging and will require time and effort on their part to complete. Rubrics, specific to each assignment, are created and posted for students to review.

IDT Faculty Instructional Strategies that Reflect Principle Seven: Diverse Talents

As noted by Kolb (1984) different types of learning experiences appeal to individuals. Respecting the diverse needs of adult learners and providing students with a variety of learning experiences is an essential component that reflects good teaching practices.  Faculty incorporate a variety of instructional strategies that allow for students to learn using varied approaches. The multimedia elements and the tutorials that are used in the online environment provide students with delivery modes that meet the needs of varied learning styles.  

Table 8

As displayed in Table 8, faculty recognize the diverse learning needs of the students in the IDT program. Accommodations are made to meet the varying demands of adult learners and supportive information is provided. These strategies reflect the identified practices by Chickering and Gamson (1987, 1999), Graham et al. (2001) and Knowles (1980, 1994) that should be used in order to meet the learning needs of adults in an online learning environment. To show respect for diverse talents faculty shared that they allow students to customize assignment to meet their own needs. The diverse ways of learning is emphasize by instructors in the various methods that they use in their teaching including group communication, whole class interactions, and personal emails.

Faculty were asked about their use of graphics to clearly explain important visual and theoretical concepts.  In response to this question 88% of those polled incorporate graphics into instruction to explain concepts. The types of graphics used varied and included tutorials, pictures from textbooks, screen captures, flowcharts and graphs. Three instructor’s comments that they create their own graphics additionally web resources, including Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) were incorporated by several instructors. Overall, to determine which graphics were appropriate to use, faculty considered the needs of the students in relation to the lesson or concept covered. One participant explained that students responded positively to the use of graphics to explain concepts. In addition to providing graphics, all instructors agreed that they provide additional support to the understanding of theoretical concepts that include virtual chats, email, and telephone conversations with individuals to clarify any misconceptions.

Implications for Online Instruction

Several studies during the past decade comparing online learning with traditional classes have made the case for the viability of distance education. Generally, research findings indicate that there are few significant differences in students’ satisfaction with the quality of their learning experiences online versus traditional classrooms as measured by assessment outcomes and students’ perceptions of online learning (Maki, Patterson, & Whittaker, 2000; Tolmie & Boyle, 2000).  However, Garrison and Anderson (2003) remind distance education faculty that they will face continual challenges in the delivery of courses and programs in higher education.  Primary among them is using distance learning to enhance inherently deficient existing practices such as lecturing and transforming educational transactions towards the ideal of a community of inquiry (p. xiv).  To meet these challenges, administrators, faculty, and program developers are rethinking how knowledge is acquired, how expertise is defined, and how computer-mediated learning affects adult learners. 

Palloff and Pratt (2003) urge distance learning providers to recognize the value of community building as a central means of facilitating learning because “collaborative learning and the reflective practice involved in transformative learning differentiate the online learning community” (pp. 16-17).  By promoting and sustaining a sense of an online learning community among students faculty members can demonstrate our commitment to the seven principles of effective teaching (Chickering & Gamson, 1987, 1999). Though the environment may be a virtual one, students can still be welcomed into online classes as members of a learning community—a group that will be expected to provide support and guidance for one another as the group moves through a graduate program together.   Significant research supports the notion that online learning communities are essential to the formation of effective online programs. As such, the development of a sense of community among our students is a tangible way that we as dedicated faculty members can help ensure that our students feel supported as they seek meaningful ways to engage with others in their online classes.

References

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2007). Online nation: Five years of growth in online learning. Retrieved May 1, 2008, from http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/pdf/ online_nation.pdf

Berge, Z. L. (1995). Facilitating computer conferencing: Recommendations from the field. Educational Technology, 35(1) 22-30.

Brooks, J.G. & Brooks, M. G. (1993). In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum.

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39, 3-7.

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1999). Development and adaptations of the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 1999(80), 75-81.

Comeaux, P. (2005). Assessing online learning. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

Fink, A. (1995). How to ask survey questions. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.

Garrison, D. R. & Anderson, T. (2003). E-learning in the 21st century: A framework for research and practice. London: Routledge Falmer.

Gibbons, H. & Wentworth, G. (2001). Androgogical and pedagogical training differences for online instructors. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 4(3).

Graham, C., Cagiltay, K., Lim, B., Craner, J., & Duffy, T.M.(2001). Seven principles of effective teaching: A practical lens for evaluating online courses. The Technology Source, 14-16.

Hinson, J., & LaPrarie, K. (2005). Learning to teach online: Promoting success through professional development. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 29(6). 483-493.

Hootstein, E. (2002). Wearing four pairs of shoes: The roles of e-learning facilitators. Retrieved January 3, 2008, from http://www.learningcircuits.org/2002/oct2002/elearn.htm

Kimble, K. (1999). The impact of technology on learning: Making sense of the research. In McRel Policy Brief. Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory.

Knowles, M. (1984). Androgogy in action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Knowles, M. (1992). Applying principles of adult learning in conference presentations. Adult Learning, 4(1), 11-14.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experiences as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Maki, R. H., Patterson, M., & Whittaker, P. D. (2000). Evaluation of a Web-based introductory psychology course: Learning and satisfaction in online vs. lecture courses. Behavior Research Methods Instruments & Computers, 32, 230-239.

McCallie, T., & McKinzie, L. (1999). Teaching online: A professional development model. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, San Antonio, TX, February.

Moallem, M. (2005). Designing and managing student’s assessment in an online learning environment. In P. Comeaux, Assessing online learning, (pp. 18-33). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

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Appendix A

Data Collection 1:
Likert Scale Survey Responses

Appendix B

Data Collection 2: Open Ended Survey Questions

Recently, you participated in a survey of all IDT faculty in order to determine your instructional preferences. The following questions were designed to delve deeper into those issues. 

1. Listed under the Instructional Practices section of the survey the question read:

I use graphics to clearly explain important visual and theoretical concepts.

1a.          I incorporate graphics online to explain important concepts (e.g. graphics, pictures, video clips,       flowcharts, graphic organizers, semantic maps, mind maps).

Agree  Disagree

1b.          I incorporate the following graphics:

1c.           I obtain the graphics from: 

1d.          I use the following processes to determine which graphics to use:

1e.           I provide alternatives, other than visual graphics, to teach the theoretical concepts
(e.g. telephone calls, emails, chat).

2.             Listed under the Instructional Practices section of the survey the question read:

                I incorporate multimedia resources regularly.

2a.          I incorporate multimedia resources into instructional practices.

                How many times during the term segment?

2b.          I find it most beneficial to incorporate multimedia resources for the following purposes:

2c.           I typically use the following multimedia resources (e.g. instructor created, web based resources,       acquired from another source):

2d.          I create assignments which require students to demonstrate competencies with multimedia.

                Please provide an example of such an assignment.

3. Listed under the Instructional Practices section of the survey, the question read:

I provide students with learning choices (e.g. reading assignments, groups members, topics researched, self assessment, portfolios, create own choice).

3a.          I provide my students with learning choices.

3b.          I have experienced the following advantages with providing students learning choices:

3c.           I have experienced the following disadvantages with providing students learning choices:

3d.          If not, what influenced your decision to not allow learning choices?

3e.           If yes, what was the result of you providing the choices to students?

3f.           I find that most students select the same learning choice.               

3g.           Students comment about having the opportunity to make a choice in their learning.

Please explain your response.

3h.          I believe that offering students learning choices creates additional work for me.

3i.            I believe that the additional work is worth your efforts based on student performance.

Please explain your response.

3j.           I believe that the online environment is conducive to offering learning choices
                as opposed to your experiences in face-to-face courses.

                Please explain your response.

1.       Listed under the Instructional Practices section of the survey, the question read: I permit students to select their own group members.

4a.          I permit students to select their own group members.            

4b.          I require my students to evaluate their peers.

4c.           I believe that peer evaluations provide accurate information about a student’s performance.

4d.          I have experienced the following advantages from incorporating peer evaluation on          assignments:

4e.           I have experienced the following disadvantages from incorporating peer evaluation on     assignments: 

5. Listed under the Instructional Practices section of the survey, the question read:

I permit students the opportunity to submit drafts on written papers.

5a.          I permit students to submit draft(s) of complex written papers, projects, presentations.

5b.          Accepting drafts of student work increases the time that faculty spend grading.
                I believe that this is time well spent.

                Please explain your response.

5c.           I have experienced the following advantages associated with students submitting drafts:

5d.          I have experienced the following disadvantages associated with students submitting drafts:

 Appendix C

Data Collection 3: Open-Ended Focus Group Questions

Questions Based on 7 Principles of Effective Teaching (Chickering & Gamson, 1987)

1.      How do you encourage student-faculty contact?

2.      How do you provide clear guidelines for interaction with your students?

3.      How do you encourage cooperation among your students?

4.      How do you create well-designed discussion assignments that facilitate meaningful cooperation among students?

5.      What specifically do you do, in your online courses, to encourage active learning?

6.      What types of projects do you incorporate into your online courses to promote active learning?

7.      How do you provide prompt feedback to your online students?

8.      How do you provide information feedback to students online

9.      How do you provide acknowledgment feedback to students online?

10.  What specifically do you do, in your online courses, to emphasize time on task (deadlines)?

11.  How do you communicate high expectations to your online students?

12.  What challenging tasks do you provide for your students?

13.  How do you praise students who submit quality work?

14.  How do you show respect for diverse talents and ways of learning in your online courses?

About the Authors

Dr. Cynthia Gautreau is an assistant professor in the Elementary and Bilingual Education Department at California State University, Fullerton. She has a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology and her research interests include online instruction, technology integration strategies and motivation as it applies to the use of technology in the teaching and learning process. 

Cynthia Gautreau, EdD
California State University, Fullerton
College of Education
PO Box 6868
Fullerton, CA 92834-6868

Email: cgautreau@fullerton.edu

Dr. Chris Street is an Associate Professor of Secondary Education.  A former producer at Yahoo!, he now teaches a graduate-level course that focuses on teaching and learning at a distance.   He presents and writes often on the topic of online learning communities.

Chris Street, PhD
California State University, Fullerton
College of Education
PO Box 6868
Fullerton, CA 92834-6868

Email cstreet@fullerton.edu

Dr. Barbara Glaeser is an Associate Professor of Special Education. An active professor in the MSIDT program she contributes her knowledge and expertise to the online program.

Barbara Glaeser, PhD
California State University, Fullerton College of Education
PO Box 6868 Fullerton, CA  92834-6868

Email bglaeser@fullerton.edu

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