The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between the academic achievement, disciplinary referrals, and attendance of at-risk students in rural Bedford County, TN, prior to and after participation in online coursework. The independent variables were the academic achievement towards successful course completions, disciplinary referrals, and attendance rates of at-risk students. The dependent variable was the participation in online coursework in Bedford County Schools (BCS) Online On-track (OLOT) program. A series of ttests and a chi-square analyses was performed to examine the differences in the mean course completion rates, discipline referrals, attendance rates, and postsecondary plans of graduates. There was a significant difference in disciplinary referral rates and attendance rates prior to and after participation. Based on these findings there was a positive impact on discipline rates and inversely a negative impact on the attendance rate. Additionally, there was a negative impact on academic achievement rates prior to and after participation in online coursework in the BCS OLOT program. Also, the difference in the proportions of graduates continuing their education and other plans was significantly different from the responses given by all graduates in Tennessee.

The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to determine whether a significantly statistical relationship exists between student participation and final grade performance within an online environment at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) Regents Online Degree Program (RODP). The study used data retrieved from the Desire2Learn (D2L) course management system and the Student Information System (SIS) for the 2013-2014 academic year. The stratified sample consisted of 360 individual students enrolled in either one or more of the 43 TCAT RODP course sections randomly selected from a total of 217 course sections offered during 3 semesters. The courses were offered in an online setting and are representative of the following academic programs: academic areas of Business Systems Technology (BST), Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), and Computer Information Systems (CIS). The sample included 261 students from the BST program, 42 students from the CAD program, and 57 students from the CIS program. The gender demographics sample includes 273 females and 87 male students. The hypotheses in this study were tested through data analysis using the Spearman’s rho correlations test. The findings of the study revealed that no statistically significant relationships exist between discussion activity, course login activity, and course content interaction and final grade. The findings of the study indicated statistically significant relationships among course content interaction and final grade for students enrolled in the BST program, course login activity and final grade for students enrolled in the CAD program, and course login activity and final grade for female students.

As more high school student take advantage of online instruction leading to a high school diploma, teacher training programs are not keeping pace with pedagogical instruction for those high school teachers that want to teach online. We often think of online instructions for home school students, students with long-term illnesses, or students that have been suspended or expelled. However, because many school districts have cut “nonacademic” offerings from the curriculum online instruction in the arts often is the only source of instruction in the arts for these traditional high school students. If teacher education departments are to address this issue the perceptions of classroom teachers (traditional and online) toward online teaching of the arts needs to be studied. 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 4 different areas was the focus of this research; 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. 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 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 4 dimensions (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. No significant difference found in gender with any of the dimensions.

Abstract is available to download.

This study explores six English as a foreign language students in an English content-based course of critical thinking delivered via distance at the Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) in Iran. Framed within cultural-historical activity theory, the study seeks to shed light on the complex nature of students' course-related activities with a particular focus on contradictions that underlie any human activity. The construct of contradictions provides a theoretical lens to understand the complex web of relationships among a number of elements in the course taking activity situated in a cultural-historical setting beset with political controversies, technological challenges, and demands of the bilingual curriculum of the university. To capture the complex nature of contradictions, the study employed a naturalistic methodology and relied primarily on in-depth interviews with the participants, observations of their online behaviors, and the artifacts that student participants produced by the end of the semester. The findings indicate that most participants had multiple activity systems within the course environment, some of which were oriented towards academic and others non-academic objects. According to the data and theoretical interpretations, most participants had primary, secondary, and quaternary contradictions. Most primary contradictions had the nature of use and exchange value, which in practical terms indicates the orientation towards genuine learning or earning a grade. Primary and quaternary contradictions led to many secondary contradictions. Furthermore, it transpired that content-based instruction pushed the participants to engage actively in actions oriented towards improving English even for the participants who did not have the object of improving English. Among many other findings are detrimental consequences of contradictions that are traced back to the persecutions of BIHE students, faculty, and staff.

A growing trend in counselor education in the United States is to accommodate current technological change by including more online academic opportunities. Slow to emerge in the counselor education literature is information that highlights how instructors have negotiated the move from land-based teaching to online teaching. A lack of knowledge about this transitional experience is concerning because counselor education programs might overlook important opportunities to support indeed, facilitate the transitional process. The purpose of this research study was to illuminate the experiences of counselor educators who have transitioned from land-based to online teaching. A transcendental phenomenological approach provided the framework and guided the methodology. This study highlighted the experiences of 6 counselor educators from small universities across the United States who transitioned from teaching counseling courses in the classroom to teaching them online. Semistructured interviews provided the data for this study; analysis used Giorgi's systematic process of data reduction. Four major themes of common experience emerged from the data: (a) high expectations and low support from university leaders, (b) limits to transitional enthusiasm among counseling faculty, (c) solutions for transitional success for counseling faculty, and (d) support essential for the counselor educator's transition. Results of this study confirm a need for greater attention to the transitional process. Counselor educators requested more opportunities for experience and support. When considering social change, understanding the needs of counselor educators in this transition can help inform much needed training strategies and supportive services in counselor education programs.

To satisfy demand for online learning opportunities at the high school level, 3 school districts in the northeast United States established a consortium to share resources to develop and deliver online courses. High school teachers who volunteered to develop courses for the consortium attempted the task without previous training in online course design and facilitation. High school students enrolled in the courses often did not successfully complete them, which obstructed the mission of the consortium. The purpose of this qualitative single critical case study was to explore teachers' experiences with and perceptions of designing and developing online courses without accompanying professional development. The iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses (v2) and technological, pedagogical, content knowledge (TPACK) served as the conceptual frameworks for the study. Five teachers who developed and facilitated an online course for the consortium, without companion professional development, volunteered to be interviewed. Data were reduced using NVivo software and analyzed using a priori codes based on NACOL standards then open-coded for emerging themes. Results indicated that other than content expertise, teachers did not believe they had sufficient competencies in any of the areas identified in the iNACOL standards. Based on these results, an online professional development course for teachers was designed to provide introductory training and to model elements of quality online course design using the Moodle learning management system. Positive social change may be achieved if teachers have the knowledge and skills required to develop high-caliber, innovative, and convenient education opportunities that encourage students' course completion which leads to learning and academic success.

Many researchers have found that differences exist in counselors' professional identity (PI) associated with gender, learning opportunities, and specialty area. However, researchers have not focused on the impact of counselors' type of education program (online vs traditional) to PI. The purpose of this study was to address this gap and determine if differences exist in PI across program types for novice counselors. The framework for this study was built around the concept of PI, defined as including knowledge, expertise, professional roles, attitudes, behaviors, and interactions. The research question was designed to examine the differences in PIs across traditional and online education settings. A convenience sample of 140 new graduate participants was obtained for this cross-sectional survey study-113 from traditional programs and 27 from online programs. PI of participants was measured using the Professional Identity Scale in Counseling (PISC) and data were analyzed using an analysis of covariance with the covariates of gender and specialty area. The results did not show a significant difference in PI between program types, however, the means of the PISC showed that the group of online graduates scored slightly higher. While not statistically significant, the findings of the study contribute to positive social change by showing that no differences exist across the PI development of novice counselors based on program type. Therefore, counselor educators can continue to practice in ways that foster the development of students based on their education program type. Counselor education that fosters the development of student PI contributes to the community as a whole by producing individuals who are competent and knowledgeable for professional practice.

Enrollment in master level programs has been increasing nationwide, particularly in online programs which tend to enroll older and more ethnically diverse students who are likely to be balancing work, finances, and family responsibilities with their educational pursuits. The challenges related to this balance has resulted in higher attrition rates and lower completion rates. In this quantitative study, the relationship between employer support and first-year retention for master's students enrolled in online programs at a for-profit university was examined. Bean and Metzner's model of nontraditional student attrition was used as the theoretical foundation. Archival data from the online institution were examined to determine the extent that 1st year retention is predicted by employer support when controlling for demographics, student background, external factors, integration/socialization, and intent to graduate. Findings from the logistic regression analysis showed 4 variables that significantly predict 1st year retention, employer support, household income, overall satisfaction, and importance of graduating from the institution. Students who received employer support were almost 2 times more likely to be retained at 1-year. Positive social change can result from having educational institutions encourage students to seek employee educational benefits. Having students seek these employer benefits may lead to higher graduation rates, higher pay, and job satisfaction for employees.

Los MOOC son considerados la última modalidad de educación en línea con un crecimiento notable en los últimos años, cuya aplicación e influencia se viene dando en las principales universidades y corporaciones del mundo. El presente estudio de investigación consiste en evaluar el mercado de los MOOC y sus aplicaciones en el mercado peruano, el objetivo principal de la investigación es la identificación de un perfil de usuario de cursos MOOC en las zonas 6 y 7 de Lima Metropolitana, y los factores que determinan la culminación de los cursos. La investigación aborda el tema desde los inicios de la educación en línea, descripción de los MOOC, principales empresas proveedoras de este servicio, modelo de negocios e implicancias en el mercado peruano. Asimismo, por medio de encuestas, focus group y entrevistas a expertos se ha identificado los principales factores que influyen en el término de estos cursos y oportunidades de mejoras en los mismos. Actualmente existen pocas investigaciones sobre el fenómeno de los MOOC en el Perú, esta investigación ayudará a que universidades y empresas peruanas apuesten por este tipo de formación en sus estudiantes y colaboradores respectivamente. / MOOCs are considered the last modality in online education with a remarkable growth in recent years, whose application and influence has been taking place in the main universities and corporations of the world. The present research study consists of evaluating the MOOC market and its applications in the Peruvian market, the main objective of the research is the identification of a user profile of MOOC courses in zones 6 and 7 of Lima city, and the factors that determine the end of the courses. The research addresses the issue from the beginning of online education, description of the MOOCs, main suppliers of this service, business model and implications in the Peruvian market. Also, the research sought to identify the main factors that determine the completion of the courses through surveys, focus group and interviews with experts. Currently there is little research on the phenomenon of MOOCs in Peru, this research will help universities and Peruvian companies to bet on this type of training in their students and collaborators respectively. / Tesis