1. Effective Practices of Online Learning in a Higher-Level Mathematics Virtual Course
- Author
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Gina Tsz-Ching Lau
- Abstract
The rise of virtual learning established e-learning as an emerging education delivery method (Jones et al., 2022). One of the barriers to virtual education was the lack of insight into the quality of students' online learning experience. For instance, without an active instructor to clarify the course content, virtual learners viewed instructional content outside the online course to comprehend complex material (Cifuentes & Janney, 2016). The common practice of searching for instruction outside of the virtual course showed a need to examine effective instructional strategies and student learning methods on a digital platform (Skordis-Worrall et al., 2015). According to D'Agustino (2012), there was a need to focus on pedagogical principles rather than technological frameworks for effective instruction on digital platforms. Lim and Chai (2008) added, "For technology to be incorporated within learning environments with authentic goals and purposes for students, all stakeholders of students' learning have to make accommodative changes" (p. 2003). The problem of practice focused on a common virtual practice of using alternative instructional resources that may not be effective in learning the course concepts and gaining the appropriate knowledge needed to succeed in a higher-level mathematics course. The research question for the study examined why students chose to utilize alternative resources available outside of the organization's course materials. This study was urgent because online education is on the rise. Randi and Corno (2022) stated that the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in virtual learning options at all education levels. With the popularity of distance learning, it was crucial for virtual schools to stay at the forefront of instructional technology by implementing diverse and efficient teaching practices to maximize students' learning experiences. A review of relevant research related to various learning methods informed this study. According to Newton (2011), "The content of the course usually contains the information that the student needs to know, but not necessarily the learning strategies that enable the student to learn" (p. 24). While lessons created by the instructor explained the content, there were potential unseen gaps in the learners' abilities, motivation, and personal characteristics that could be met through interactions in a classroom setting (Newton, 2011). Therefore, "understanding what learners need in the way of instructional support during a self-paced e-learning course can enhance the learning and allow for better allocation of training resources and return on investment" (Newton, 2011, p. 7). Cifuentes and Janney (2016) stated that a barrier to online education was the countless resources that practiced academic dishonesty available to students. With a common practice of accessing outside options, I examined the students' learning methods concerning various motivational components, such as control of learning beliefs. The self-directed nature of a virtual academic setting demands high levels of student motivation because additional time and effort are needed to complete the coursework and thrive in a virtual setting (D'Agustino, 2012). During the performance analysis, I examined the ideal and actual states of the virtual organization through the human performance technology (HPT) model (Van Tiem et al., 2012). During the data collection phase, I gathered quantitative data through a questionnaire from stakeholders at the virtual educational organization. After collecting and organizing the data, I examined the potential gaps between the staff and students' results, which showed an inversely proportional relationship in four subscales. Instructional strategies and resource management averaged in the staff's top three ratings but were listed in the students' lowest three. The findings showed that student motivation and learning methods were in the staff's lowest three, but students rated those same elements in their top three online strategies. I followed Van Tiem et al.'s (2012) HPT model to guide the performance improvement process and communicated with stakeholders to facilitate the development of strategic actions during each phase of the analysis. I drew on Thomas Gilbert's (1978) behavior engineering model and Kaoru Ishikawa's fishbone diagram to make connections between the collected data and the potential causes of the performance gaps (Doggett, 2005). The stakeholders' perspectives and feedback-informed interventions addressed the potential causes of the performance gap, which led to the designing and developing of video tutorials that chunk the instruction and focus on students' learning methods as an alternative to the embedded course lessons and outside resources. The videos focused on one module in the calculus course and were posted on a blog for online students to view as tutorials for their assignments. I distributed a formative assessment to three students on three academic performance levels to evaluate the intervention. Afterward, I conducted a summative evaluation with the calculus students to assess their improvement on the subscales from the initial surveys. Hiatt's (2006) change management model detailed the five elements--awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement (ADKAR)--needed for individual-level change to happen. I drew on the ADKAR model to guide this project because it emphasized consistent communication with stakeholders during each research stage. As a result, the stakeholders felt involved in each part of the study and understood their role in the overall project. Ultimately, this project aimed to better understand the instructional and learning practices that supported the stakeholders at a virtual educational organization. The study was important because instructors, administrators, and guidance counselors had a unified goal to ensure a quality education and students could pursue their aspirations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. 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- Published
- 2024