The purpose of this study was to assess radiography faculty perceptions of the effectiveness of asynchronous online courses. Learning effectiveness in a web-based virtual learning environment (VLE) was the conceptual framework for this project (Piccoli, Ahmad, & Ives, 2001). For the purposes of this study, learning effectiveness was defined as the quality of learning being comparable between online and traditional courses (Moore, 2011). Ten research questions were used to guide this study, and statistical tests were conducted to evaluate 17 null hypotheses. The statistical tests included use of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlations, and single-sample t-tests. Ten of the 17 null hypotheses were rejected. Research findings indicate that the effectiveness of online courses is not significantly affected by faculty position, type of institution, faculty age, or years of teaching experience. Faculty perceptions of the effectiveness of online courses increase with years teaching online courses, number of online courses taught in the past 5 years, and perceived competence with use of 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.

Developing online instructional strategies for increasing student engagement and success is significant locally and nationally due to growth in the online field, advances in technology, and the need for colleges to maximize student success. This study stemmed from the desire of administrators at an upstate New York private college to discover additional ways to design and deliver effective online instruction. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to discover faculty perceptions of and experiences with instructional strategies that they used to foster student engagement in online learning. Kearsley and Shneiderman's engagement theory formed the study's conceptual framework. Ten faculty members, who had taught online for at least 3 years at the study site, completed an open-ended, anonymous online survey, provided documents for analysis, and participated in a semi-structured, one-on-one interview. Data analysis revealed five themes that add insight to the attributes of student engagement theory by discovering instructional strategies that foster interaction for online students: instructor presence, effective communication, course consistency, engaging content, and a humanizing learning environment. Using these findings, a position paper was written, which includes the recommendation that a new professional development initiative, a communities-of-practice e-learning site, be created to share study findings. Dissemination of study findings at conferences may increase online practitioners' knowledge of instructional strategies that engage online learners and improve student satisfaction and success, potentially resulting in positive social change.

This applied dissertation was designed to provide deeper insight to current knowledge about establishing teaching presence (TP) in online courses. Distance education environments are considered more convenient than traditional learning environments, as they provide more opportunities for learning that occurs in various settings. In distance education environments, effective learning should focus on the interaction between e-learning technologies and educational practice in higher education. Online courses are typically devoid of the visual cues and interaction of the traditional classroom. Online learners may experience an isolation effect as a result of learning in the perceived absence of their peers and instructor. Feelings of isolation experienced by distant students are grounded in Moore’s transactional distance (TD) theory. The concept of distance in online education does not refer simply to geographic or temporal separation, but also to the pedagogical space between students and instructors. In Moore’s TD theory, as the amount of dialogue increases, TD decreases. Establishing TP in online education can minimize the isolation effect and reduce TD in many ways. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare student and faculty perceptions of TP in synchronous and asynchronous distance education courses at the college or university level. A mixed-method methodology was employed using a scale measuring TP for the quantitative strand and student and faculty focus groups for the qualitative strand.

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This study applied the stages of transformative learning to faculty perceptions and application of best practices to online learning. Research questions included: Can transformative learning theory constructs be used to identify potential barriers in faculty development and delivery of online instruction?; How does the stage of transformative learning of online faculty relate to their perceptions about online learning and their application of best practices?; Is there a correlation between stage of transformative learning and the amount of experience with online instruction a faculty member has? Principal component analysis and cluster analysis support a four-component solution. The four constructs equate to Mezirow's four stages of learning: transforming frames of reference through critical reflection of assumptions, validating contested beliefs through discourse, taking action on one's reflective insight, and critically assessing it. Multiple regression analyses were run to predict faculty perceptions on the identified components. Three of these were statistically significant based on years of experience teaching online, the number of professional development workshops taken on online teaching, or both. While the instrument appears to be a valid measurement of transformation of frame of reference, examination of previously contested beliefs, and critical assessment of action, further efforts will be needed before this is a fully validated instrument.

Implications for student dropouts include fewer career options and lower earning potential. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty perceptions of their roles in the student retention process at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Southeast United States. Guiding the phenomenological study was Lewin's theory of change model. Data were collected using a questionnaire, interviews, and faculty-student intervention logs. The questionnaire was completed by 32 full-time faculty at the study site. Interviews with 5 participants were conducted after the completion of the questionnaire, and 5 participants provided information via a faculty-student intervention log about strategies used to retain students. Data were analyzed through coding of responses and recorded frequencies to identify themes. Participants reported that they should be involved in retention efforts, and primary retention efforts occurred through the student success program, the retention coordinator, first-year experience course, retention committee, and advising. Participants also reported that their role in student retention is as an advisor, and faculty engagement with students inside and outside of class improves student retention. A process change paper with recommendations for improving student retention was shared with the administration of the HBCU. Findings may be used by leadership at HBCUs to increase retention and graduation rates thereby allowing graduates to pursue careers and function effectively in society.