Abstract The purpose of this bounded qualitative case study was to explore students' perceptions of factors that influenced their success or failure in an online English composition course at a community college located in the southeastern United States and to understand how these factors affected their persistence in coursework. Retention rates in online for online English composition courses are lower compared to face-to-face English composition courses. Rapid expansion of online learning has led to increased concern regarding student persistence in courses and degree or certification completion. Tinto's interactionalist theory and Kember's model of student success framed the course of inquiry for this study. Eight online student volunteers, who completed, failed, or withdrew from a required entry-level English composition course, were purposefully selected and individually interviewed using a semistructured format. Data were thematically analyzed using open and pattern coding strategies and related to the conceptual framework. Key results revealed student perceptions of factors that influenced their success or failure in an online English composition course and suggested a change in pedagogical practices to improve persistence as well as institutional and instructional practices. Based on findings from this study, a white paper was drafted to present stakeholders with a 2-pronged approach to improve student persistence featuring faculty student engagement and meaningful action and reflection on student learning experiences in an online English composition course. This study contributes to social change by presenting a pedagogical shift to address a persistence problem in online English composition courses. Persistence to course completion can build students' confidence and keep them on a path to achieving their academic goals.

The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and process of clinical supervision via the Internet as experienced by participating supervisees. The subjects of this study were four students in a masters level internship course in counseling at Oregon State University. The course was a pass/no pass counseling internship placement which included an Internet-based clinical supervision component. The qualitative design used in this study was based on a Constant Comparative Methodology using coding categories developed manually and through the use of the QSR NUDIST 3.0 Qualitative Data Analysis Software. This design focused on the collection of textual material from participants engaged in distance clinical supervision. This textual material and subsequent analysis served to help create an emergent theory of distance clinical supervision. Participants evidenced a motivation to participate in the distance supervision experience and advanced not only clinical skill use but also were challenged with the technological aspects of course participation. Findings suggest that the attitudes, prior experiences, and social expectations influenced participant meaning-making and subsequent self-construction of their ideal learning environment. In addition, participants' interest in technology and the convenience of the distance venue provided an impetus toward autonomous functioning in spite of supervisee dependency. This struggle appeared consistent with the theoretical constructs of the developmental models of supervisee process. As supported by Stoltenberg's developmental model of supervisee development, more advanced supervisees perform more autonomously. In this distance supervisory environment, supervisees were offered additional opportunities to operate autonomously which may impact overall supervisee development. This research may have implications for the continued development of the distance supervision method especially in experiential courses in the training of counselors. Recommendations and cautions are offered for the further development of distance supervision courses as well as the need for further research to substantiate the posited theoretical foundations. / Graduation date: 1999

This thesis asserts that faculty are the critical resource for the integration of distance education by postsecondary institutions. The major barriers to the participation and adoption of distance education center around faculty. This manuscript thesis incorporates a series of articles to develop applied frameworks and strategies that place faculty at the core of the institutional adoption process. An advocacy approach that integrates organizational culture and diffusion of innovation theories provides a conceptual framework for addressing the complex issues inducing faculty resistance to distance teaching. What issues impact faculty receptivity to distance teaching? At the institutional level, altered faculty roles for distance teaching, academic quality, inload vs overload teaching assignments, promotion and tenure, quality of instructional and student support services, and traditionally embedded academic norms affect faculty receptivity to distance teaching. Moreover, this thesis asserts that institutional and interinstitutional extended degree programs utilizing telecommunications must resolve issues related to curricular approval, accreditation, program prioritization, academic residency, fee structures, and articulation. Integrated instructional delivery frameworks are presented that fuse traditional instructional systems with new learning systems. These frameworks advocate the gradual integration of telecommunications-based coursework in extended degree programs to promote greater faculty participation, expand curricular offerings for students, and balance the introduction of new learning systems with traditional campus-based systems. A faculty support model for integrating distance education in postsecondary institutions delineates the key organizations and professionals essential to faculty and institutional adoption. This model asserts that the centrality of faculty to distance teaching adoption requires mutual support from presidents, deans, departmental chairpersons, the faculty senate, media services, and continuing education. In conclusion, distance education compels postsecondary institutions to reduce existing barriers to faculty participation by compensating, rewarding and training faculty at levels commensurate with traditional instructional activities and to provide instructional and administrative support services designed to ensure student access to high quality programs. Without well trained and equitably rewarded distance teaching faculty, the potential of distance education will be seriously diminished. Within the mainstream academic culture, failure to ameliorate these human resource needs reduces faculty receptivity to, and participation in, postsecondary distance teaching. Institutions that satisfy these needs will simultaneously create a balanced equilibrium between the application of advanced technologies and human resource development necessary for ensuring instructional quality and student access to extended educational programs delivered via distance education. / Graduation date: 1995

The intent of this study was to determine if leadership competency levels of the students enrolled in a graduate level leadership course were different when taught in Web-based versus traditional classroom settings. Specifically studied were leadership competency scores based on self-perceived leadership skills, leadership expertise, and Web-based and traditional classroom style. The population for this study consisted of students enrolled in a graduate level leadership course in the Spring semester of 2003. The participants completed a questionnaire to ascertain how much they remembered and used the competencies taught in the leadership course. They also responded to how their leadership perceptions and practices changed after completing the course. In addition, the participants completed a section that assessed their self-perceptions of leadership skills. This study found that the instructional format of a graduate level leadership course did not affect how much the students remembered or used the competencies presented. However, it was discovered that women in the Web-based section had a stronger perception of themselves than women enrolled in the traditional section. Furthermore, Web-based instruction combined with high perceptions of leadership expertise had a positive affect on the Decision Making Scale score.

Thesis (M.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Theses (Faculty of Education) / Simon Fraser University. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, Spring 2009. / Major professor: Karen Guilfoyle. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-144). Also available online (PDF file) by subscription or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, April 2009. / Major professor: Russell Joki. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-149). Also available online (PDF file) by subscription or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (MTech (Radiography))--Peninsula Technikon, 2003. / Word processed copy. Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-141). Also available online.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Original electronic document formatted into pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-106) and abstract.