The purpose of this study was to measure differences in learning styles in an online E-Commerce I class in public secondary schools in North Carolina. Students' observations and achievements were evaluated by gender, grade level, course of study, online experience, and expected grade. This type of study could identify relationships between the online model and the four areas evaluated. This information may aid designers of online curricula as well as the teachers. The literature review covered several topics including technology, online learning, gender-based education, learning styles, maturity, and expectations. Each topic was related to the success of students in an online environment. This quantitative study was conducted using a survey-design method. The survey was designed using online survey software. Specifically, the survey concentrated on the differences and successes in an online class. With online education growing in popularity, educators need to evaluate the reasons behind success or failure. Independent sample t tests and a one way ANOVA were used to determine the significance of each research question. The survey dealt with 3 different dimensions, the learning style dimension, the experience dimension, and the opinion dimension. Findings showed significant differences in 2 areas, age and expected grade. The data showed a significant difference between juniors and seniors in all 3 dimensions of the survey. The findings also showed significant findings in all 3 dimensions of the survey in regard to expected grade. Recommendations for future research, conclusions, and recommendations for practice are also included.

The increase in online course delivery in higher education has implications for students and instructors. In fall 2002, 1.6 million students took at least one online course and this number increased by the fall of 2012 to 6.7 million. The increase in the rate of enrollment in online courses in higher education provides an opportunity to examine the strategies and technologies used in course design and delivery and student engagement in the online culture. Two of the key factors in creating student engagement are the instructor's interaction with students and the course design and delivery itself. An examination of students’ and instructors’ perceptions of what factors contribute to a positive online experience may assist those developing and delivering online courses. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between the perceptions of online instructors and online students regarding student engagement and course design and delivery. Data collection techniques included the use of a survey with a 5-point Likert-type scale and collection of demographic information. Data were analyzed through a nonexperimental quantitative methodology and further explained through the use of positioning theory. Positioning theory combines cognitive and social psychology to describe how individuals interact through conversation or speech acts (Harre & van Langenhove, 1999). This theory provides a framework for discussion of the findings as to how the first interactions between students and instructors set a tone for student engagement for the duration of the course. The study revealed that there is a strong statistical significance to the number of both student and instructors posting to perceived student engagement. The more students and instructors post in the first 2 weeks the higher the perception of student engagement. This finding allows for the application of the use of positioning theory in how students and instructors relate and experience engagement in the course. Findings also revealed that academic discipline was not statistically significant in regards to instructor and students perception of engagement. Significance was also established between student age and traditional or nontraditional status in their perceived engagement in online classes. Traditional students and also students in the age category of 24 and under reported higher rates of perceived student engagement than nontraditional students and students in the age category of 25 and older. Recommendations for practice are included in the discussion.

The focus of this research is in the area of online learning policy. Online learning is rapidly gaining popularity and is becoming more and more an integral part of the K–12 education landscape. Such a study is important because there are very few policies that have been created to govern online learning differently than traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. Utah’s Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP) has been largely marketed as policy that does transcend these barriers. This research uses a multidimensional mixed-method case study to evaluate the program. The findings from this research provide evidence that the SOEP falls short of providing policy that can guarantee implementation of the program’s goals and purposes and fails to ensure quality online learning for students. The main conclusions drawn from this study are that principals are hesitant to implement the SOEP because they are concerned about the potential loss of funding and a lack of confidence in the quality of online courses. This dissertation recommends the following: The creation of technology funding that guarantees full access to the Internet for all students, the creation of a performance-based assessment system for all students, and online learning in-service and professional development for both principals and teachers.

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The purpose of this research was to identify appropriate pedagogical practices for Internet-based teaching and learning, determine the status of their use in the community college adjunct instructor's Internet-based classroom, and examine the impact of these practices on student academic achievement and satisfaction. Frequencies, measures of central tendency, percentages, and SPSS Cross Tabulation procedures described and analyzed data from student and instructor surveys to answer these questions. Internet-based best practice and recommended practice pedagogical methods and strategies were identified through extensive content analysis of the professional literature. Internet-based adjunct instructors at a Central Florida community college rated 43 selected recommended practices. Ratings were based on instructor perceptions of each practice's importance to student academic achievement in and satisfaction with their Internet-based learning experience. Students of community college adjunct instructors also rated these practices for their perceived impact on student academic achievement and satisfaction. Students identified from selected recommended practices the pedagogies that had been designed into the described Internet-based course in which they had been enrolled, providing better understanding of the current use of appropriate Internet-based practice in the instruction of adjunct community college instructors. To examine the impact of the use of those practices, average course scores were related to student-reported presence of practices in described courses and student-reported academic success and satisfaction in described courses was related to the presence of best and recommended practices designed into the course. Results from this study can provide guidance for community college Internet-based programs and for adjunct instructors in those programs as they strive to design and instruct quality courses with appropriate pedagogical focus. Results can also provide local data to the larger discussion of appropriate pedagogy throughout the Internet-based educational community.

The Community of Inquiry model provides a framework for recognizing and evaluating interpersonal behaviors in online educational settings. One of its three components, teaching presence (TP), describes those behaviors that are under the auspices of the online instructor. By examining these interactions and behaviors through the theoretical lens provided by teaching presence, and by measuring them with the Teaching Presence Scale (TPS), it may be possible to gain greater understanding of the practices employed most effectively by online instructors. This dissertation describes the background, theoretical and empirical foundations, methods, and results of a study on TP. The purpose of the study was threefold: to validate the use of the TPS in an online professional development setting outside of the higher education context in which it was designed and tested; to confirm the factor composition of TP among facilitators in an online professional development course; and to determine the extent and direction of the relationship between teaching presence and student satisfaction. The participants in this study (n = 718) were in-service educators enrolled at the Florida Online Reading Professional Development program. They responded to an instrument that included the 28 original TPS questions, plus 17 student satisfaction and 11 demographic items. Confirmatory factor analysis and Pearson's correlation were used to answer the three research questions and corresponding hypotheses. The research questions were answered in the affirmative, and the null hypotheses rejected. There was support for the use of the TPS in an online professional development setting (all 28 TPS items loaded as hypothesized on the three TP factors); support for a three-factor model of TP using 17 of the 28 TPS items (X2 [116, N = 718] = 115.56, p = .49, CFI = .999; NNFI = .999; SRMR = .02; and RMSEA = .03); and evidence of a strong relationship between components of TP and student satisfaction (statistically significant correlations [p < .001] between TP and student satisfaction, r2 values ranging from .25 to .57). A discussion of the results, implications for practice, implications for further research, and limitations of the study were presented following the data analysis.

As the move to increase availability of composition courses in the online environment continues, it is important to understand the ways in which composition instructors have taken on the challenges associated with moving their teaching online and how they modify, or re-mediate, their pedagogy for the this new teaching and learning environment. This study takes on the task of examining re-mediation as it occurs in the pedagogical practices used by instructors to facilitate peer review activities in hybrid, first-year composition courses. At the same time, it is important to understand the varying factors that may influence the degree to which instructors re-mediate their pedagogy for this hybrid environment. This study also uncovers four factors that appeared to influence the degree to which the instructors re-mediated their pedagogical practices over the course of the semester in which this study was conducted. Results from this study will contribute to the field by serving as a guide to instructors and administrators who will teach and design hybrid composition courses or curricula in the future.

The purpose of this non-experimental, comparative, quantitative study was to determine if there were significant differences between the perceptions of male and female community college students about the importance of sense of community (SoC) in online classes and sense of instructor presence (IP) at eight southern, public, community colleges using survey data. It was the intent of the study to determine if there were significant relationships of students’ perceptions of the presence of sense of community in online classes among factors of age, race, grade point average, cumulative credit hours, credential type, major area of study, and number of previous online courses completed. In addition, possible significant relationships of students’ perceptions of instructor presence in online classes among factors of age, race, grade point average, cumulative credit hours, credential type, major area of study, and number of previous online courses completed were analyzed. The findings provided evidence that for these community college students, demographic characteristics generally did not impact SoC nor student perception of IP. However, students’ open-ended feedback revealed multiple layers of frustration with lack of IP.

Teaching and learning online is an increasingly important aspect of higher education, especially post-Covid-19. Previous studies have shown a relationship between Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and teaching efficacy and teaching efficacy and student success. However, the contextual factors impacting TPACK have not been adequately explored. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the contextual factor of institutional culture impacts TPACK among online higher education faculty at institutions in the Southeastern United States as well as to what extent specific dimensions of institutional culture effect TPACK levels. Data were collected using an anonymous online survey that was shared with potential participants through email and social media. Data were analyzed through SPSS software using a multiple linear regression model to determine significance between the independent variables, the seven dimensions of institutional culture, and the dependent variable, TPACK. Results indicated that there is no significant relationship between overall institutional culture and TPACK. However, significance was found between two individual elements of institutional culture, 1) collaboration and team learning and 2) connection between the organization and its environment, and TPACK. These findings indicate that higher education administrators should focus efforts creating opportunities for faculty to engage in professional development opportunities and move beyond siloed work to more collaborative projects. Administrators should also ensure that the institution is connected to the local, regional, and global community through aligned institutional goals with the needs of the community and establishing opportunities for faculty to connect globally. Future research should be conducted to confirm the findings in this study and should continue to explore the relationship between the varied aspects of institutional culture and the complex elements that constitute quality online teaching.

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