As technology continues to advance, many instructors are incorporating online activities into their courses. While online learning has several benefits, there is still debate on how instructors can best develop and utilize these resources in their classroom. This study is split into two smaller projects that both aim to provide further insights on how to develop online activities that target undergraduate biology students. The first project revealed that elaborative feedback in a phylogenetic activity was more useful for students who had some exposure to phylogenetics prior to completing the activity. The results of the second project revealed that the appearance of two simulations’ user interfaces does not have a significant effect on learning outcomes. However, many students responded that these simulations did increase their understanding of the concepts, indicating simulations can play an important role in the biology classroom.

Online education continues to evolve and grow dramatically at colleges and universities across the globe. Today’s society is comprised of people who are increasingly busy with work and family obligations and who are looking for more flexible and expedited avenues for higher education. Institutions seek to meet these new demands by offering online distance educational opportunities while increasing cash flow for their college. Unfortunately the pitfalls to this rush to meet online demand results in what some researchers assert are inadequate quality content and curriculum. Others indicate there are not significant differences in the outcomes from online learning compared with traditional face-to-face classes. Much of the research has been conducted on nonquantitative courses, quantitative courses with small sample sizes, or large sample sizes that are not controlled for quality of online content, delivery, or verification of learning. The purpose of this quasi-experimental ex-post-facto study was to compare student outcomes from two Principles of Accounting courses both delivered in two methods of instruction: traditional face-to-face (F2F) and an on-line asynchronous format. The online content for both courses was developed with assistance of academic technology professionals at the participating university. Student learning was measured as final course grade where all exams were administered by a testing center in a proctored environment. The sample size included 124 students from the online sections and 433 students from the traditional face-to-face sections. Eight research questions were examined using independent samples t-test for 6 of the analyses, ANOVA for 1 question, and multiple regression for predictors of mean final course grade. The results indicated students performed significantly better in the face-to-face classes than the online sections. Female students scored significantly higher than male students in both methods of instruction. ACT composite score, ACT math score, GPA, gender, and method of instruction all were significantly related to final course grade. Age was not a significant predictor of final course grade but in the online sections nontraditional students (age 25 and older) scored significantly higher than students under the age of 25.

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand student perceptions of social media as they relate to the programs of study for online graduate students participating in an educational leadership department (hereafter referred to as EDLR) in Tennessee. As institutions of higher education are being affected by declining enrollments, increasing tuition, rising numbers of nontraditional students, global events, and continuing budget cuts, understanding student perception of the educational experience is a fundamental element for understanding ways to address the uncertain future of higher education. Through a series of in-depth interviews, data were collected and analyzed to provide a framework of understanding for that question. This study explores social media usage by online graduate students enrolled in the EDLR program at a Tennessee university. Some of the key findings that the data illustrate are that the perception of paucity by EDLR in its social media affects student perceptions of inclusion and community. Participants may not be actively engaging in social media; they are often aware of it and many explain that they use social media outlets to keep abreast of class activities and each other. Participants also felt that online learning resources are more like prescribed assignments and lack the needed freedoms for open communication and social media did not invade their personal space.

Making video recordings of large classroom lectures and putting them online is increasingly common in distance and blended learning courses. However, the best way to use lecture video is not well understood. Using long streams of one-way communication is not consistent with best practices in online learning. During lectures, students assume a largely passive role. They think faster than instructors speak, so boredom and daydreaming are common. Yet, when complex or novel ideas are presented, students may have inadequate time to encode, organize, and integrate the input with prior experience. Especially for students with low prior knowledge of the subject being discussed, the lecture is a cognitive and affective roller coaster ride that works at cross purposes with learning. Viewing a lecture that was recorded at an earlier time adds the element of temporal distance from the learning event, and changes the student’s role from participant to spectator. The present study investigated whether learning could be increased and perceptions of difficulty reduced when a captured lecture received a “makeover” before being put online. The makeover consisted of 1) editing the lecture video in accordance with the cognitive theory of multimedia learning; 2) processing the video using best practices for audio/video production; and 3) increasing the video playback speed. The research design for the study was quasiexperimental. The independent variable was captured lecture form (edited or unedited). The dependent variables were learning results for recognition and recall, and perceptions of difficulty. Data analysis employed independent-samples t-tests, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and repeated-measures MANOVA. Conclusions were that the editing protocol made no significant difference in learning gains for recognition or recall, and did not significantly affect perceptions of difficulty. However, editing did result in a 39% reduction in the length of the lecture, raising the possibility that such a makeover might allow for faster learning when lecture video is used.

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the integration of technology in undergraduate courses by faculty at private colleges and universities. Integration of technology is using technology as an instructional tool to improve teaching and learning (Clayton-Pedersen & O’Neill, 2005; Wilson & Hayes, 2000; Woodbridge, 2004). Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) 7 principles for good practice in undergraduate education provided the theoretical framework for this research. The researcher conducted a survey of full-time faculty at 21 private colleges and universities in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The results of the study indicated that faculty use technology significantly to communicate high expectations to students and to support diverse talents and ways of learning. However, faculty reported that they do not use technology significantly for the other 5 principles: to support student-faculty contact, promote cooperation and reciprocity among students, promote active learning, provide prompt feedback, and promote time on task. Analysis of the data indicated that female faculty use technology significantly more than male faculty for all 7 principles. Findings regarding age indicated that faculty who are 40-59 use technology significantly more than faculty under 40 to support prompt feedback, time on task, and diverse talents and ways of learning. No significant differences existed between other age groups regarding these 3 principles. No significant differences existed between any age groups regarding use of technology to promote student-faculty contact, encourage reciprocity and cooperation, promote active learning, and communicate high expectations. The results of this study extend the current knowledge about faculty use of technology to advance good practice in undergraduate education. Additionally, the results provide information about differences in use of technology by faculty based on gender and age. These findings may inform institutional policies and practices with regard to implementing a systemic approach to teaching with technology.

The incorporation of the arts as an academic subject in the high school distance education delivery method is being reinvented as something new. Most of the current research is focused on college courses. Online high school curricula are most often placed in research studies as an afterthought. Perceptions of faculty members from high schools with traditional instructional delivery models as well as public online schools concerning online education as it relates to the arts in 5 different areas was the focus of this research; mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum. Examining the perceptions of teachers gives a blueprint for future learning regarding course design to meet the unique online delivery method. Further, it reveals ways that curricula from areas of the curriculum traditionally perceived as difficult to teach in an online setting can be structured. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions of high school faculty members of online instruction of visual arts compared to traditional face-to-face instruction regarding visual arts mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum. Data collection techniques included the use of a survey with a 6-point Likert-type scale and collection of demographic information. Data were analyzed through a nonexperimental quantitative methodology further explained through 5 dimensions (mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum). In faculty members age differences, gender, years of teaching, and subject area taught were investigated to see if there were any significant differences. The population included faculty members of online and traditional high schools in the southeastern United States. The following states were chosen for the study; Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. There were 490 participants in the online survey. This study revealed that there is statistical significance difference in several age groups and years worked in the delivery dimension. There is also statistical significance difference in the satisfaction and curriculum dimensions in the academic discipline grouping for fine arts. Curriculum dimension was also found to be significant in the online delivery method. The dimension of student learning was statistically significant in age groups. Findings also revealed that there was significance found in the mentor dimension in the delivery method of the traditional group. There was no significance difference found in gender with any of the dimensions.

This is a discussion of panelists from different universities who learned to navigate their institutes of higher education to create quality online special education certification programs to reach teacher candidates in rural areas. Each panelist will detail her university’s technology, process for approval, and financial incentives to create online programs.

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Some preservice special education programs (e.g., low-incidence disabilities, early childhood special education, ect.) are struggling to maintain enrollment, and often these programs are in jeopardy of being cut by their university. This session will be a roundtable discussion of what struggling programs can do to increase enrollemnt and viability.