Modern education has to take on various roles and contingencies over the last decade – both for good and worse. Public school systems are competing with private and now charter schools for student enrollment and virtual or online learning schools. A question many parents and educators struggle with – how do we grow and develop children and young adults' academic needs through the use of technology? The question may be simple; however, the answer is far complicated. Technology provides help in various ways a human being cannot, including instant gratification of Google searches, video education, synchronous education game formats, distant learning from different ends of the country, and so on. Virtual education has seen a growing demand in the last decade. Many institutions worldwide are implementing online classes as academic needs are switching from traditional to non-traditional. Professional development in virtual settings is rapidly increasing along with education budgets to support these technological mammoths' databases and software programs. However, is one ‘one-size-fits-all' model adequate for all learning styles? Despite the rapid growth of online education, many challenges and dispositions exist with the design and delivery to students on all academia levels. Software engineers and lack of developmental acquisitions for user-friendly formatting to students with exceptional learning styles differ from the norm. This paper addresses the question of virtual learning opportunities missed in online programs' software development compared to their physical alternatives in ‘brink and mortar' or face-to-face instruction. The three research questions behind this study were as follows: Are there areas and functions of virtual education that need to be fixed within the public-school setting platforms? If, so what? Are the platforms/software's used ‘one size fits all' or individually programmed to grade level, age of user(s), and/or academic needs (Gifted/IEP, mental/physical disabilities, learning disabilities, language)? Areas of recommendation to positively change missing or unsuccessful platforms to accommodate research questions one and two. Observations, documents and records, and open-ended structured interviews were the data collection methods used in this study to understand virtual education in midst of a pandemic. The researcher is interested know how children are significantly challenged – internet connectivity, socioeconomic and support systems of both social and emotional needs, gifted children were equally compared to their non-gifted peers in the wake of a global pandemic. Schools districts overlooked many areas causing significant concern for both teachers and parents of student academic needs. To justify a ‘one-size-fits-all' approach given lack of planning, cannot justify a substitute for education, through resource limitations and declining success tools to students who need it most. Teachers were split in seeing the progressive advances in fully virtual education which were favorited by younger, tech-savvy educators, compared to their older colleagues who preferred traditional methods of paper and {pen}cils. Public and Charter Schools have the option to continue fully virtual, hybrid education and traditional methods of education based on students adaptation, chronological age, maturity, including teachers opting in for lower class size, ability to work from home and providing more resources to students who are significantly handicapped based on socioeconomic, disabilities, and/or parents reliance as first/active responders.

This thesis explored how students with exceptionalities learned literacy skills in an online learning environment and how the teacher was supported in the online classroom environment through professional development. Analysis of classroom observations and interviews with a teacher resulted in five findings: (1) There was limited professional development for teaching exceptional education students online. (2) Meeting exceptional student educational needs in the online environment was challenging for the teacher. (3) During the teacher's online lessons, there were some elements of literacy present such as comprehension and real-world examples. (4) The teacher missed out on some key components for literacy development with exceptional students in an online learning environment. (5) The exceptional students in the online learning environment did not have access to classroom tools.

The present study explored student perceptions of instructor support in remote learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic to better understand inequities in their learning experiences. Participants self-reported perceptions of instructor support, online learning experiences, mental health symptoms, and wellbeing. Bivariate correlation testing and linear regression modeling were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that students' student-instructor rapport is associated with higher perception of instructor support. Further, higher perceptions of instructor support were associated with significantly lower symptoms of depression, anxiety, and academic-related stress. Higher degrees of students' self-regulated learning behaviors were associated with lower perceived instructor support. There were no gender differences or differences based on first-generation student status in comfort asking instructors for academic support. These findings highlight the importance of developing teaching practices that promote comfort in course engagement, especially in those who report being not feeling comfortable enough to seek instructor support. While the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to continue disrupting our classrooms for much longer, we can use this time to better understand student experiences in remote learning environments to better suit their needs as this mode of teaching continues to be utilized in the future.

Abstract This article describes the result of an academic-practice partnership between a School of Nursing (SON) and a University Medical Center (UMC) for the purpose of promoting BSN education in response to the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation that 80% of RNs hold a baccalaureate degree or higher by 2020. The mutually beneficial partnership worked together to offer a pilot online RN-BSN nursing program, increase the number of BSNs in the workforce, and to collect information from RN-BSN students returning to school about their challenges, recommendations for future programs, and why they were interested in returning to school. The BSN graduates reported a renewed interest in nursing, opportunities for advancement, and the importance of a support system for RNs planning to return to school. The BSN graduates identified barriers for returning to school included finances, lack of knowledge related to technology, and challenges of maintaining work-life balance.

No description available.

Abstract available through the Journal of Nursing and Patient Care.

Preloading student satisfaction and success factors into an online program orientation course can strengthen the potential for student retention and success. The nursing literature is lacking in this area. Much of the information found on retention is focused on the undergraduate student in a face-to-face classroom setting. Less literature can be found on graduate level education retention and the body of knowledge regarding graduate online education retention is even more limited (Perry, Boman, Care, Edwards, & Park, 2008). Retention rates in online graduate education, not specific to nursing, vary widely, but are typically poorer than in face-to-face programs (Barry & Mathies, 2011; Patterson & McFadden, 2009). Increasing student retention and graduation is crucial for maintaining and increasing performance-based funding in educational institutions. Meeting common student needs early in the program can provide the resources and support needed for overcoming future barriers to graduation. Cameron (2013) compiled common student needs: positive social experiences with students and faculty/advisors, course delivery system understanding, asynchronous participation understanding, requirements of e-learning, requirements of graduate and program education, and evidence of institutional commitment through excellence in advising and online resource availability and access. A reduction in overall anxiety about entering graduate education and an increased confidence in the ability to succeed are vital for students entering graduate education. Early access to peers, faculty advisors, and university resources can improve the students’ sense of community and belonging and provide a strong support system. These early steps ease technology frustrations, communication difficulties, and any perceived support inadequacies. A completely online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program orientation course was developed to meet the identified common student needs. The program provides early access to the MSN program’s Learning Management System (LMS), access to peer support, faculty advisor, and university resources. Students were taught the basic structure of courses (including content, discussions, quizzes, and drop boxes) to ease the stress of the first few weeks of class. Graduate study requirements and expectations were explained along with the differences between online and face-to-face study. Students received guidance in balancing work, life, and study. Students were given opportunities to practice the most commonly used technologies in the program. Ten newly admitted MSN students participated in the study. A post course phone interview was initiated with each following course completion, using a five-level Likert scale (1 being the lowest score and 5 the highest score) to assess the course and student perceived preparedness for the MSN program. Four categories of questions were used: knowledge regarding graduate online study, resources, and program expectation; proficiency with the LMS; communication access to other students and faculty advisor; and access to university resources. A final question was asked of students regarding their overall anxiety level about starting the MSN program. All students reported decreased anxiety and increased comfort with graduate online education, increased self-confidence, and feelings of support. Students are able to focus more on the course subject matter in the first few weeks of class when they have a clearer understanding of the LMS, graduate school and online learning expectations, and resource/support availability before classes start. A positive early start adds strength for managing future barriers and frustrations of graduate education. These concepts may be applied to meet the specific requirements of other academic programs. Further research is needed to compare the retention rates of those participating in the orientation program and those who did not. The finding in this project support the importance of an orientation program to graduate nursing studies which includes setting realistic expectations, developing a sense of community and support, and practicing for proficiency in the program LMS.

Students are able to focus more on the course subject matter in the first few weeks of class when they have a clearer understanding of the LMS, graduate school and online learning expectations, and resource/support availability before classes start. A positive early start adds strength for managing future barriers and frustrations of graduate education. These concepts may be applied to meet the specific requirements of other academic programs. Further research is needed to compare the retention rates of those participating in the orientation program and those who did not. The finding in this project support the importance of an orientation program to graduate nursing studies which includes setting realistic expectations, developing a sense of community and support, and practicing for proficiency in the program LMS.

Preloading student satisfaction and success factors into an online graduate nursing education program orientation course strengthens the potential for student retention and success. Major components of withdrawal from universities include personal reasons and support system issues. Support system issues often relate to a difference in the students’ anticipatory expectations and the realities of the educational program. Student perspectives on program expectations may be related to their experiences in a face-to-face undergraduate program format and an online graduate program format. Another conflict between student anticipatory expectations and program realities may be related to the level of learning and understanding required of graduate education compared to undergraduate education. A 100% online graduate nursing orientation and guidance program was developed to orient newly admitted students to the expectations of graduate nursing study, the requirements of this specific MSN program, and how to use the learning management system (Desire2Learn). Students were taught the basic structure of courses (including discussions, quizzes, and dropbox assignments). Access to peer support, faculty advisor, and university resources were provided within the course using the same architecture as the program courses. Students were encouraged to introduce themselves to other students. Opportunities were provided for more experienced students to share experiences and bits of wisdom gained from their studies. New students were encouraged to ask questions of fellow students and their advisor and to establish study groups. Ongoing discussion boards were provided for continuous student interaction and peer support throughout their time in the program. Students gained a realistic perception of the program, online graduate study expectations, and helped them to form a realistic understanding of the need to maintain a work-school-life balance. Students reported decreased anxiety and increased comfort with graduate online education, increased self confidence, and feelings of support, which prepared them for success.

No description available.