The demand for online education has significantly increased in recent years, prompting many educational institutions to consider its continued adoption in many ways. However, some faculty members have encountered challenges in teaching online due to a lack of adequate training and guidance on effective online teaching practices. This study aims to provide evidence-based guidance for higher education instructors in selecting effective instructional strategies in online learning environments. It employs design and development research methodology to create instructional strategy selection guidelines for online courses in higher education. The guidelines, rooted in pedagogical approaches, are designed to assist faculty in selecting appropriate instructional strategies for online learning. They comprehensively outline the various instructional strategies and the factors influencing the decision-making process for selecting instructional strategies in online learning environments. The study makes contributions to research and content development by providing strategy selection guidelines for quality online education. / Doctor of Philosophy / Online education has become increasingly popular in recent years. Preparing for online teaching can be a complex process, and some instructors find it challenging to teach effectively due to a lack of preparation and guidance. As part of online teaching planning, selecting the appropriate instructional strategy is crucial to providing a quality online learning experience. Thus, instructional strategies aid in ensuring that students comprehend academic material, facilitate effective teaching and learning, and encourage student engagement. To address this issue, this study has been conducted to provide evidence-based guidelines for instructors in selecting effective instructional strategies for online courses in higher education. These guidelines are designed to assist faculty in choosing the right strategies for online learning, taking into account various factors that can influence this decision-making process. This study employs the design and development research (DDR) methodology to create an instructional strategy selection guide for online courses in higher education. The DDR methodology involves a systematic and empirical approach to developing and evaluating instructional and non-instructional products, tools, and models (Richey and Klein, 2007). The guidelines were created in four phases: analysis, design, development, and evaluation and validation. Each phase had a specific purpose in creating and refining the guidelines. These guidelines have been developed based on a foundation of theoretical concepts, a thorough analysis of relevant literature, and extensive evaluation and validation by experts in the field. By providing well-planned strategies for quality online education, this study contributes to research and content development in the field of online learning.

Recursion is one of the most important and hardest topics in lower division computer science courses. As it is an advanced programming skill, the best way to learn it is through targeted practice exercises. But the best practice problems are hard to grade. As a consequence, students experience only a small number of problems. The dearth of feedback to students regarding whether they understand the material compounds the difficulty of teaching and learning CS2 topics. We present a new way for teaching such programming skills. Students view examples and visualizations, then practice a wide variety of automatically assessed, small-scale programming exercises that address the sub-skills required to learn recursion. The basic recursion tutorial (RecurTutor) teaches material typically encountered in CS2 courses. The advanced recursion in binary trees tutorial (BTRecurTutor) covers advanced recursion techniques most often encountered post CS2. It provides detailed feedback on the students' programming exercise answers by performing semantic code analysis on the student's code. Experiments showed that RecurTutor supports recursion learning for CS2 level students. Students who used RecurTutor had statistically significant better grades on recursion exam questions than did students who used a typical instruction. Students who experienced RecurTutor spent statistically significant more time on solving programming exercises than students who experienced typical instruction, and came out with a statistically significant higher confidence level. As a part of our effort in enhancing recursion learning, we have analyzed about 8000 CS2 exam responses on basic recursion questions. From those we discovered a collection of frequently repeated misconceptions, which allowed us to create a draft concept inventory that can be used to measure student's learning of basic recursion skills. We analyzed about 600 binary tree recursion programming exercises from CS3 exam responses. From these we found frequently recurring misconceptions. The main goal of this work is to enhance the learning of recursion. On one side, the recursion tutorials aim to enhance student learning of this topic through addressing the main misconceptions and allow students to do enough practice. On the other side, the recursion concept inventory assesses independently student learning of recursion regardless of the instructional methods. / Ph. D.

The following study investigates the use of a web-based mechanism that was designed to attempt to influence levels of self-efficacy by engaging participants in an experimental procedure. The process encouraged participants to monitor their time management behaviors and engage in a self-regulated learning process. The study utilized a web-based tool in order to attempt to evoke these changes using current and emerging instructional technologies and tools. This mechanism provided participants with feedback on their time management behaviors as they progressed through a two-week process of setting goals, monitoring their time management practices, and receiving feedback. Although no significant findings were discovered via the statistical analyses, many implications regarding the development and implementation of future interventions can be inferred. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory around instructor social presence in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provided a depiction of real-world experiences from the perspective of high school teachers during their shift to online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The study surveyed 50 teachers of varying teaching experience and teaching contents to discover how helpful different facilitation strategies were at creating opportunities for social presence in their online classes, specifically with engagement, connection, and community. Using descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, ANOVA comparison, and content analysis, the study identified the top 5 most helpful facilitation strategies in helping to engage with students, connect with students, and build community with students. The findings indicated that instructor's timely feedback to questions, instructor being present in the discussion forum, and instructor's timely feedback on assignments/projects were the most helpful at engaging with students, connecting with students, and building community with students.

According to the Assistive Technology Act of 2004, assistive technology is defined as, “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” The use of AT helps persons with neurological diagnoses independently access their personal devices (Folan et al., 2015). Though occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) have a unique understanding of how to use AT for computer access, many do not feel confident to use it in practice (Arthanat et al., 2017; Dishman et al., 2021). Additionally, research has shown that although AT is a part of an OTPs entry-level curriculum, most clinicians report they would have liked more training on proper use, resources and funding available, (Dishman et al., 2021; Long et al., 2007). The lack of confidence due to limited training, resources and funding leads to decreased recommendation of AT for computer access. If OTPs are not recommending AT for computer access for individuals with neurological diagnoses, then they may be at risk for occupational injustices. Upd(AT)e aims to improve OTPs confidence in recommending and utilizing AT for computer access with persons with neurological diagnoses. This proposed program is rooted in evidence and has been developed using constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and the Human, Activity, Assistive Technology (HAAT) model. This eight-hour, synchronous course will provide participants with the opportunity to learn about hardware and software available to best serve individuals with neurological diagnoses. Participants will also have mentorship experiences with AT experts as they will collaborate to problem solve case studies and apply gained knowledge. By the end of this program, OTPs will report an immediate improvement of confidence and knowledge of AT for computer access. Upd(AT)e will assist participants in translating their learned skills into clinical practice when working with individuals with neurological diagnoses.

This study explored former and current graduate and undergraduate online students' self-efficacy perceptions for asynchronous online coursework. Self-efficacy is described as a person's judgment of his or her ability to successfully complete a learning or performance task (Bandura, 1997). Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach, this study explored the research question in three phases: 1) Conducted interviews and analyzed transcripts of 11 current and previous asynchronous online learners; 2) Created and enlisted the expert review of a survey instrument developed from the interview data analysis; and 3) Collected and analyzed survey responses from current and previous asynchronous online learners. The findings from this research show, based on 215 participant responses, several factors present or absent in asynchronous online learning experiences have positive, negative or no effects on perceived self-efficacy to complete online course requirements. Findings, limitations, practical implications and future research ideas are discussed in Chapter Six of this document. / Ph. D. / This study explored the experiences of former and current graduate and undergraduate online students for possible factors that may have affected self-efficacy perceptions while completing online course requirements. Self-efficacy is described as a person’s judgement of his or her ability to successfully complete a learning or performance task (Bandura, 1997). Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach, this study explored the research question in three phases: Phase I included conducting semi-structured interviews and analyzing transcripts of 11 current and previous asynchronous online learners; Phase II included creating and enlisting expert reviews of a survey instrument developed from the interview data analysis from Phase I; and Phase III included collecting and analyzing survey responses from 215 current and previous asynchronous online learners. The findings from this research showed several factors reported by participants as being present or absent in their online learning experiences having a perceived positive, negative or no effect on their self-efficacy beliefs at some point during their online coursework. A summary of findings, limitations, practical implications and future research ideas are discussed in Chapter Six of this document.

The rapid growth in online learning opportunities and online courses in K-12 education is well documented in the literature. Studies conducted by various researchers that have focused on the K-12 population of online learners demonstrate that certain online learner characteristics and online learning environment characteristics may impact the likelihood of students passing or failing online courses. Research has produced models that predict online course success with measurable degrees of accuracy. This descriptive study examines characteristics of students enrolled in online high school courses provided by a virtual learning program administered by a single Virginia public school district. The study determined that students’ prior academic success; confidence in their technology skills and access to technology; confidence in their ability to achieve; and strong beliefs in their organizational skills proved to have a significant statistical relationship with online course success. The study developed a model with these factors that predicted success in online courses with a high degree of accuracy and predicted failure with a moderate degree of accuracy.The study has policy implications for public school leaders in Virginia as they implement recent state legislation requiring students to successfully complete a virtual course to graduate from public high school. The study indicates that additional research is warranted to further delineate learner and learning environment characteristics producing a model that more accurately predicts failure in online courses. Additional research is warranted with larger samples from single district virtual programs.

The capacity for online learning environments to provide quality learning experiences for students has been the focus of much speculation and debate in the higher education sector from the late 1990s to the present day. In this area, 'quality' has become synonymous with engaging students in a learning community. This study reports on a qualitative research project designed to explore the significance of community for students when they study in online learning environments. This project used three case studies to explore tertiary students' thoughts and expectations about community in the online environment. The research was constructed iteratively. Data from the initial case suggested the need to explore the relationship between the constructed online learning environment and the development of learning communities or what I have termed Social Learning Support Networks (SLSN). To explore this issue further, the project was expanded and subsequent cases were chosen that included fundamentally different types of online learning environments. The project had two significant results. Firstly, students not only confirmed popular educational theories on the value of learning communities, but also described how this form of social connection might practically benefit their learning. Secondly, the project found that certain forms of synchronous online environments provided enhanced opportunities for students to form social connections that supported their learning. This project provides new evidence of the benefit of community for students studying online and argues that future online learning environments should be shaped by five key principles designed to foster a sense of social connection between students.

This thesis investigates personal knowledge development in online learning environments and the impact that personal values have on it. Personal knowledge development was investigated from the perspective of Nonaka’s SECI model of organisational knowledge creation. This model served as the basis for an adapted model that conceptualises personal knowledge development in online learning at the individual level. The personal value types of the Schwartz Value Survey and the Portrait Values Questionnaire were adopted to measure personal values and their impact on personal knowledge development in online learning environments. Three data collection approaches were used. First, an exploratory study was conducted which elicited online learners’ experiences of their personal knowledge development in online learning; this study used online discussion forums for data collection. Second, a Delphi study was carried out. Experts were asked which of the ten individual-level value types by Schwartz are likely to be particularly relevant in the context of online learning. Third, an online survey was created. Its aim was to measure the impact that personal values and background variables, such as gender and age, have on personal knowledge development in online learning. A measurement instrument was devised that measures three of the SECI modes, namely Externalisation, Combination and Internalisation. This instrument measures the magnitude of online learners’ Externalisation and Combination activities as well as their level of Internalisation, i.e. the outcomes of personal knowledge development. Results of the exploratory study show that there are widely diverging experiences of personal knowledge development in online learning. The literature review suggests that the cultural situatedness of an online learning environment is an important influencing factor on personal knowledge development. The results of the Delphi study suggest that Self-Direction, Stimulation, and Achievement are particularly relevant value types in the context investigated here. Finally, the online survey confirms this view, as all three value types were found to be positively correlated with Externalisation, Combination, and Internalisation, with the exception of the Achievement-Combination relationship. A modified version of the SECI model is proposed, which extends the applicability of the original SECI model from the organisational to the individual level. It is argued that this model is suitable to describe personal knowledge development in the context of online learning. The study also contributes to closing the gap in research on the impact of personal values in the context investigated in this study. Moreover, a measurement instrument was created that can be used to measure Externalisation and Combination, i.e. personal knowledge development processes, and Internalisation, i.e. personal knowledge development outcomes.

This study empirically investigated the impact of an online learning community project on university students' motivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). A newly-proposed L2 motivation theory - the L2 motivational self system (Dörnyei 2005; 2009) - was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The three aspects of motivation (ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience), as described in this theory, were measured before and after the online project. Specific motivating and demotivating features of the online project were generated from participants' responses. Four individuals with different heritage and technology backgrounds were selected as cases to provide information about their perception of this online project and the possible impact of this project on their motivation. A concurrent transformative mixed method design was employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. A pre- and post-test survey and semi-structured interviews served as the main instruments for data collection. Paired t-tests were conducted to identify differences in the participants' pre- and post- scores for the three aspects of motivation. Constant comparative method and double coding method were used to generate the major themes about the motivating and demotivating features of the online project. A narrative analysis approach was taken to explore how individuals with different backgrounds perceived their experience in this online project and the possible impact of the project on their motivation. The results indicated that there was a significant difference in L2 learning experience before and after the online project, while there was no significant difference in the other two aspects of motivation (ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self). This finding provided empirical evidence about the different natures of the three motivational aspects. That is, ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self were built up over a long period of time and thus relatively stable, while L2 learning experience was more dynamic and fluid and had a tendency to change even within a relatively short period of time. Regarding the motivating and demotivating features, the results suggested that the most motivating features of this online project were the access to alternative learning resources and tools and opportunities to connect to a larger community of Chinese learners, while the demotivating features were mostly related to the technology barrier and the time and effort it took to complete this project. Furthermore, findings from the interviews with the selected individuals implied that regardless of their different heritage and technology backgrounds, most of them had a positive experience of this online project. However, the impact of this project on their motivation was limited.