...bachelor’s degree is not enough to qualify for many positions. Nevertheless, thanks to technology, we now have the option to learn online or in a traditional classroom setting. There are very few differences between the two, and students need to understand that as much time and energy will need to be devoted to the online courses as on a campus. “A 2010 meta-analysis and review of online-learning studies concluded that online learning was as good as or slightly more effective than traditional face-to-face instruction” (Mendenhall, 2011). Therefore, there is no question as to whether or not success can be obtained from this nontraditional way of learning. Nevertheless, students who chose to study online should be extremely disciplined. There are many tools that one needs to be successful in school and in every aspect of their life. Of course, some people need different things from others. However, I will point out a few that I feel are very important, and that I will use in my daily life. As an online learner and an administrative assistant, I have found that you should be equipped with great organizational, time management and communication skills in a quest for success. Some people have excellent organization skills, whereas others may struggle with getting organized. It is important that you establish effective organization techniques early on to ensure success in any endeavors. I feel as though having these skills is the foundation for achievement. Having organization skills allows...
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...Student Success in Online K-12 Education A Literature Review The education/school system has seen a tremendous growth in online learning programs, defined as learning experiences in which students and instructors are separated by space and/or time. The development of online distance learning school is a relatively new wave. Online schools have become ideally suited to meet the needs of government officials, politicians, calling for school choice, high school reform and preparation for the 21st century workforce. The growing numbers of students learning online and the importance of online learning as a solution to educational differences has increased the demand to study more closely the factors that effect learning in a virtual school environment. Many students who have participated and who participate in online education programs are attracted to online schooling because it offers advantages over a classroom based program. The benefits of distance (online) education for youth are increasing in enrollment is because these educational programs are reaching undeserved regions and districts, broadening educational opportunity for students who are unable to attend a traditional setting, are not accessible to resources and the teachers are not available locally which creates a better student teacher communication. Students in virtual schools showed greater improvement that their conventional school counterparts in critical thinking, researching, using computers...
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...Education 2012. Vol.3, Supplement, 61-66 Published Online December 2012 in SciRes (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/ce) DOI:10.4236/ce.2012.38b014 Critical Success Factors for Online Distance Learning in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature Bussakorn Cheawjindakarn1, Praweenya Suwannatthachote2, Anuchai Theeraroungchaisri3 1 Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand Email: bussakornonline@gmail.com, praweenya@gmail.com, anuchai@gmail.com 2 Received 2012 The aim of this paper is to specify the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for Online Distance Learning (ODL) in Higher Education (HE). Research methodology was analyzing and synthesizing the literature review. The literatures were reviewed to determine items relevant to online learning success as implementation, criteria and indicator. A total of 19 papers, published during 2000-2012, were selected from Chulalongkorn University reference databases. Data analysis method was using one of the popular analysis techniques for qualitative research works or the content analysis. The results on the CSFs for ODL can be grouped into 5 factors: 1) institutional management, 2) learning environment, 3) instructional design, 4) services support and 5) course evaluation. Each of these 5 factors includes several important elements that can assist to enhance efficiency of online learning courses in higher education institutions. It is a...
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...Characteristics of Successful Online Learners Christi McCook-Babaz INFT 101-B23 Characteristics of Successful Online Learners With today's technology, anyone can engage in online learning. Unfortunately, not everyone will be successful in doing so. Various studies show that people who are self-disciplined self-motivated, organized, have higher than average thinking skills and can read and write exceptionally well are more likely to succeed in an online classroom than others (Pallof and Pratt, 2001). We must combine these traits with the abilities that the Lord has given us to succeed in the online classroom. In the article “Factors Driving Learning Success in Online Professional Development” by Phu, Vien, Lan and Jude (2014), the authors look at several studies focusing on adult online learners and what factors are common among those who are success in the online learning environment. The majority of the learners that were surveyed (Beaudion, Kutz, & Eden, 2009) and researchers quoted stated that success mainly depended on self-efficacy more than anything else. Researchers (Pallof and Pratt, 2001; Boyd, 2004) listed the factors that they determined to be the most important predictors of learner success. Several things play a key role in online learner success. Self-discipline, including being able to work without a lot of structure or supervision and possessing excellent time-management skills and essential. Demonstrating higher than average thinking, reading...
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...Identify barriers to success in the online learning environment and the strategies to overcome the barriers. Please cite the sources used to support your response. As we know that advances in technology over the past decade have boosted colleges and universities into the kingdom of online education. Is online education better than traditional school education? Personally I like the online education, although the online education have many barriers, but I believe using some strategies can overcome these barriers. According to Berge Zane the director of training system in UMBC, “impediments to online teaching and learning can be situational, epistemological, philosophical, psychological, pedagogical, technical, social, and/or cultural.”(Berge 1998) Berge described barriers to online education including "faceless teaching; fear of the imminent replacement of faculty by computers; diffusion of value traditionally placed on getting a degree; faculty culture; lack of an adequate time-frame to implement online courses; many distance learners who lack independent learning skills and local library resources; lack of formalized agreements to sustain program commitment though difficulties and problems; lack of a national agenda; funding priority and policy leadership; increased time required for both online contacts and preparation of materials/activities; the more technologically advanced the learning system, the more to go wrong; non-educational considerations take precedence over educational...
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...SUCCESSFUL ONLINE STUDENTS Author: Christian D Daley Online learning is becoming a very popular method of education for both traditional and non-traditional persons. There are numerous universities, colleges, and other higher learning institutions proposing online learning courses for their students. But, some students may not be fully prepared for online learning. With such a new environment comes new demands. Research has been compiled to help ensure the success of students who are learning online. The characteristics that make an online student a successful online student have been confirmed by expert online educators; characteristics such as having the proper online tools, utilizing what motivates you to pursue online courses, and managing a healthy lifestyle with a good support group in your corner. These seasoned online educators believe that these characteristics make up a successful online student. Not too long ago distance learning atmospheres were solely based on correspondence through paper, audio, and video broadcasts. You have students who are coming from more “traditional” ways of learning, in which they are converting to a whole new way of learning. Some students are not converting, rather they are just being introduced to post-secondary learning, and presented with the convenience of learning online. The experts have all agreed that on the importance of students’ having well rounded technology knowledge, and having sufficient tools prior to taking online learning...
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...Online learning has become one of the largest growing educational systems in America. Not only in America, but it has also spread to other parts of the world as well. In a recent study by New York Times, more than 500,000 Americans take online courses. According to collegeclasses.com, the first online course was known as “correspondence courses” and began in the 1700’s with pamphlets and textbooks that were sent to the students. However, the success of an online student isn’t something that comes easily but is earned through self-discipline and other vital characteristics. According to the article, “Individual Factors and Successful Learning in a Hybrid Course” by Kelly Arispe and Robert J. Blake, success in online courses is a hybrid language. With this in mind, Blake and Arispe point out what the five main important personality traits to contain, which are, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and neuroticism. Before Arispe and Blake go too in-depth, a common question may be, what is a hybrid class? A hybrid class is “a course where a ‘substantial proportion of the content is delivered online [a course that] typically uses online discussions, and [one that] typically has a reduced number of face-to-face meetings” involved (pg.4). However, even though certain personality traits do play a role in the success of learning, success also relies on the learner’s preferences as well. According to Blake, “It is important to know which types of learners thrive...
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...is a well-known fact that a continued education is a necessity for success in our fast-paced world. It is important for professionals to stay informed and stay educated in order to keep up with the rate at which technology is progressing. Obtaining an education virtually is one of the many options that students have when choosing to move forward in their education. There has been an ongoing debate as to whether an online education is as valuable or as creditable as the traditional way of learning. Some even believe that the traditional classroom will lose its demand due to the gaining popularity of online learning. Ryan Lytle address the critics that believe that online education is of a lower standard than the traditional learning method. A study performed by a nonprofit research company, Ithaka S+R, tested this theory. The findings from this study were that the students who participated in interactive online learning or hybrid learning produced equal or better results than the students who learned in a traditional environment. These results and others lead Mr. Lytle to believe that blending online learning with in-class learning may be a more effective way of learning that just one or the other. Johnson says, “Teacher quality is still a very important part of success in an online course, but so, too is the course design” (Lytle, 2012). Kathleen Kingsbury writes about the massive growth of online education, its affordability, as well as its value. The University...
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...INFLUENCES ONLINE CLASSES HIGH ATTRITION RATE by Lora Hines Bachelor of Science in Business Education December 1984 College of Education A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science in Education Degree Department of Workforce Education and Development In the Graduate School Southern Illinois University – Carbondale December 1, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………….…………..1 Background……………………………………………………………….1 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………….6 Research Questions………………………………………………………..7 Significance of the Problem……………………………………………….7 II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE………………………………..…..9 Demographics…………………………………………………………….10 Best Practices……………………………………………………………..16 Student Characteristics…………………………………………………...24 III. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS…………………….…….32 Summary …...…………………………………………………………….32 Findings .………..……………………………………………………….. 33 Recommendations………………………………………………………...38 REFERENCES………………………………………………………….. 41 VITA………………………………..……………………………………52 AN ABSTRACT OF THE R ESEARCH PAPER OF Lora Hines, for the Master of Science degree in Workforce Education and Development, presented on December 1, 2011, at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. TITLE: WHAT INFLUENCES ONLINE CLASSES...
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... environmental and instructional decisions. For centuries, traditional education can be characterized by using direct contact between an instructor and student. Immediate feedback and increased social interaction may be formed during a defined period in classroom instruction. Distance learning, now considered a new term, has been around for over a century. Correspondent courses started in Europe and remained the primary means of distant learning until the middle of the twentieth century (Imel, 1996). Distant and online education offer many of the same characteristics along with distinct features, of indirect contact with faculty and classmates through technology driven methods such as discussion forums and synchronous or asynchronous communication. (Mahmood, Mahmood, & Malik, 2012). Distant learning allows students to learn and study at their preferred learning style and own pace. Similar to the unique characteristics of fraternal twins, nontraditional and individual needs students may require the adaptability and flexibility of distant education to fulfill their academic and professional goals. Distant and traditional education use many of the same pedagogical techniques the online learning format enables students increased opportunities to suit their skills, interests, and profession. One Twin’s View on Traditional Education The long established delivery system for traditional higher education has remained a face-to-face classroom setting. Students listen to lectures and...
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...Participants On-line learning Community To an on-line community communication is important and interpersonal communication describes one of the process of communicating ideas, thoughts, and feelings to other people and groups also develop skills that will improve a participants practice and knowledge as an online participant within a community. However Read-Only Participants authors express a wider concern for student communication in online classes. The authors express many discussions, questions, methods, findings, and implication with communication online disrupting the formation of virtual learning community. The context of the study discussion involved an online course on web-based education for a Masters degree with a mixed methodology approach to observe how online pursuit and discussion relate to course completion and learning skills. The researchers work showed an increase with online enrollment, but a decline in retention and success, even lower than traditional classroom settings. Those who hold the roles of facilitators have a responsibility to reversing such trends according to Schreck (2006). There are many misconceptions and myths concerning the difficulty of both learning and teaching online some attribute it to the methods of technology (e-books, podcasting, and simulations), Student continue to drop out at alarming rate yet keep pleading for more online learning experiences (Bonk, 2002). Other scholars finding such drop-out rate for online student that varies...
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...PREPARING FOR PERSONAL ACADEMIC SUCCESS Continuing secondary education is a big step in life. It can be even harder if you have a full time job and family. If I plan to graduate I must come up with a plan and strategy to study and pass classes in order to graduate. Even though being a graduate student, it can be stressful trying to manage school, work and home responsibilities. Understanding how you learn can play a big part in obtaining a degree whether it’s in classroom setting or online. In order to be successful in college you must manage time and stress levels, set realistic goals and strategies for you to achieve academic success. * * Different Learning Styles * In order to fully achieve academic Success, one must know and understand their unique learning style in order to be Academic Successful. There are many ways individuals learn to perceive and interpret information. As a visual learner myself; I do not retain information just by reading alone. I have to color code the main points in my reading, I also have to read two or 3 times before grasping the concept of any reading materials. With color coding it aids me in rewriting and organizing my notes, I seem to retain the information better that way. Unlike the auditory learner, they use the sense of hearing to learn and tend to like live lectures than reading them. Auditory learning would probably be hindrance in me achieving Academic Success because; it would require a lot of my time and energy to learn...
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...This paper was prepared in support of the Baker College’s Mission, Guiding Principles, and online learning Model in how Baker College's commitment to its mission influence on an instructor; and how the 11 Guiding Principles set the foundation and the culture for Baker College; finally, how the Online Learning Model (OLM) fosters rigorous expectations, a high level of engagement, and a strong commitment for success in the online learning environment. There are many evidences that the professional development at Baker College is a priority of the school leaders. Professional development is receiving greater attention in all areas, for example, both adjunct and full time faculty from all programs get a mandatory first year faculty development....
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...Challenges of Graduate Studies & Strategies for Success Challenges of Graduate Studies & Strategies for Success The modern job market makes advanced education necessary, but graduate studies are never an easy task. Distance learning, while it does add a layer of convenience, can also cause additional issues for some graduate students. A study performed by the Babson Research Group found that over seven million higher education students opted for online learning options in 2013 (Blair, 2014). However, as Reiss points out, “It’s one thing to start your online degree, but it’s another to finish it (2014)”. If distance learning graduate students are to succeed and overcome the challenges of graduate studies, they must devise an effective strategy for meeting these potential issues. Potential Issues Many of today’s online graduate students are faced with various educational and external challenges that can hinder successful completion of their studies. These issues could, and at ties do, lead to lower grades and lack of drive. Balancing multiple obligations, struggles with adapting to the online learning processes and environment, and internal battles are just a few of the issues that online graduate students are likely to face. The Juggling Act Balancing obligations can be a challenge for online graduate learning. Modern students must juggle the responsibilities to family and home, work, friends, and self in addition to school work. Quite obviously, this...
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...Student Communication in Online Classes A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes Grand Canyon University: UNIV 501 9 July 2011 A Case for Student Communication in Online Classes This article explains the importance of participation, interaction, and communication in the virtual classroom between the students and instructors. Many students today are enrolling in online classes to continue their education. Inside the online classroom, students began to meet and greet through discussion forums. Once a relationship and trust has been established between the students and instructors, an online community has been formed within that classroom. Students and their instructors will learn, communicate, and interact with one another throughout the course. Initially, everyone starts out participating in the online discussion forums, but then the true slackers make their appearance apparent in the online classroom. Some students log into the classroom, but show little or no involvement in the classroom or lack input in the discussion forums. This eventually creates a big problem in the online classroom. Due to the lack of log ins, participation, and interaction dismantles the classroom as a whole. A research study was done to show how the students who participated very little could cause disorder in the online classroom community and risk online learning. Background Many education programs have become recognizable and more accessible online. People all over the...
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