The Question of Student Perception of Online Courses - Essay Example

?Topic: Perception Regarding Online s This research aims to explore the perceptions of the regarding online courses that they are enrolled in. The review of available literature has revealed that though there is an increase in the number of online courses offered by universities across the globe, there are also challenges related to the adequacy of the content, delivery mode, use of technology and overall course efficacy to lead to similar career opportunities as students who graduate through regular courses. The current research uses a convenience sample of 10 students from Saudi Arabia, who are enrolled in Masters level online courses in different Universities in the EU, US or Australia. The data collected using an email survey method. The survey instrument is based on the factors that are found to be essential for high quality online course a indicated by the literature review. The findings reveal that students largely consider their online courses as of good quality, but there are concerns regarding the future career. Research findings also highlight that course content need to be made more easy and sufficient to facilitate better understanding and the website need to facilitate easy navigation and better interaction so that the students can remain engaged with the material and be motivated to study. Topic: Perception of Students’ Regarding Online Courses Table of Contents 1. Introduction-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 2. Literature Review------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 3. Research Methodology------------------------------------------------------------------------5 4. Research Findings------------------------------------------------------------------------------7 5. Conclusions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 6. List of Tables and Figures Table1: Respondents’ Scores on the questionnaire--------------------------------------------7 Table 2: Proportion of Students’ Perceiving their Online Courses’ Quality ------------8 Figure 1: Perceptions of Students’ on the Ease of Understanding the Content---------9 Figure 2: Perceptions of Students’ on the Sufficiency of the Content-------------------10 Figure 3: Perceptions of Students’ on the Contents’ ability to Engage and Interest--10 Figure 4: Perceptions of Students’ on the Website Navigation----------------------------11 Figure 5: Perceptions of Students’ on the 24-hr Availability of the Content-----------11 Figure 6: Perceptions of Students’ on the Content Interactivity--------------------------12 Figure 7: Perceptions of Students’ on their ability to remain self-motivated and disciplined---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 Figure 8: Perceptions of Students’ about their Career Prospects ------------------------13 7. List of Appendices Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire-----------------------------------------------------------15 8. References--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16 1 Topic: Perception of Students’ Regarding Online Courses 1. Introduction The rapid proliferation of Internet and improvements in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) have made it possible for students to access and enrol in courses offered online by foreign Universities. While this has large scale implications for the global education, it also helps students to obtain certifications and degrees in subjects and from colleges that were previously out of their reach. While there are a large number of Universities that offer online courses (Allen and Seaman, 2010), and there is substantial recognition of such online courses in the corporate world (Wanstreet, 2006), there are also several challenges inherent in the technology and the mode of delivery that impact the efficacy of the courses (Shi and Morrow, 2006). There are several problems related to the use of the technology as well as the utility of degrees obtained in this manner to provide useful career options (Shi and Morrow, 2006). As such, this research aims to understand the perception of students about the online courses that they have enrolled. It explores the reasons why the students may think that the online courses are a good alternative to the regular classes, as well as find out if there are any inhibitions or problems that the students have when they enrol in online courses. The research questions are therefore specified as follows: 1. What are the factors that impact on the efficacy of an online course on students’ understanding of the subject and gaining knowledge? 2. What are some of the problems or challenges faced by the students’ of online courses? The research is undertaken using a survey method where students from Saudi Arabia who have enrolled in online Maters program from different Universities in the 2 USA, UK, EU and Australia. The details of the research sample are covered further in the section on research methodology. The current research is expected to provide insights about the benefits and disadvantages of online courses as per the perceptions of the students who are directly involved with the online course. 2. Literature Review With the popularity of the Internet, there has been a considerable shift to Internet-based online learning (Wanstreet, 2006). Within the United States, the number of students taking at least one online course has doubled in the period of 2004-2008 (Allen and Seaman, 2010). Allen and Seaman’s (2010) research also revealed that more than 73% of institutes of higher education felt that the demand for online courses has become much higher in 2009. In today's time, numerous online lectures, online courses trainings and other academic aids are readily available for effective learning. Most of the Universities and colleges to furnish online material for the students enrolled in their regular classes (Wanstreet, 2006). This review looks at the perception that students have regarding to the online courses and course material. According to Pallof and Pratt (2001), though the students’ perception of the online courses varies based on subjective elements, the overall response has been positive. Their research showed that the major reasons for showing preference towards the online courses were that it offers flexibility, learning enhancement as well as convenience (Pallof and Pratt, 2001). One of the most important reasons that the students preferred opting for an online lecture was that they were no longer restricted to the limitations that a classroom session provided. In the study conducted by Morss (1999), it was found that 62% of the students felt 3 that one of the main reasons for opting for this method of learning was the ease of use it offered (1999). Students can take their courses from a convenient location. Also, such a learning approach provides them with the opportunity to review the sessions more than once, in case they need to clarify on some aspects. As students take these sessions from an environment that is much more comfortable, they are under less pressure when it comes to aspects like punctuality and classroom stress (Brush, 2001; Shea, Sau and Pickett, 2006). With online lectures that are a part of the online course, the students get the chance to learn from subject-matter experts across the world. Through web conferencing, they get the opportunity to interact and learn from faculty who are not physically based at their educational institution (Shi and Morrow, 2006; Simonson et al, 2009). In addition, such a methodology can also equip the students to learn new technology and familiarize themselves with the internet skills that prove to be useful in a career oriented progression (Allen and Seaman, 2006). Another reason due to which students may like online lectures available as part of the online courses is that it gives them a good opportunity to interact with students all over the globe. Often, an online lecture is attended by a wider audience and hence, the students get an opportunity to interact with other participants and enrich their learning with different perspectives. It can also result in better collaboration as well as a coordination which proves to be useful in the era of globalization (Picciano, 2002). The perception of the students was also different based on the type of online learning that they were offered. University of Southern Mississippi implemented synchronous interactive online instruction (Ward et al, 2010) and compared it with asynchronous online learning environments. While asynchronous learning gives more flexibility to the learners as it comes in the form of 'self-paced' lessons, a synchronous online learning method is carried out real 4 time with the help of web conferencing so that the students can interact directly with the teachers (Ho and Swan, 2007). The students preferred the synchronous training to asynchronous online learning because the students could directly interact with the lecturers and clear out the questions right then (Ward et al, 2010). The students also judged the effectiveness of the online learning modules based on other parameters also. For example, the ease of navigation, user-friendliness of the interface, the way in which the lecture/module has been designed, time required to download the materials determined their preference towards such courses (Shi and Morrow, 2006). Additionally, if the students found that the instructional design model was perfectly suitable for the course module, the learning experience was better (Ling, 2007). However, even though the overall response is positive, there were some challenges that students faced. Some students feel that technology challenges have resulted in poor audio and video quality often hindered smooth delivery of courses (Khan, 1997). In addition, the opportunity of informal and direct interaction with the other students and faculty was found to be less (Mazzolini and Maddison, 2005). Another challenge that is seen in the case of asynchronous learning is that immediate help or feedback is not readily available. This proves to be a discouragement as it can result in gaps in learning (Nachmias, 2002). Also, this type of learning approach requires more self-discipline and a higher level of interest when compared to traditional classroom methodology. Hence, if the students are not motivated enough, they may not take online courses in a serious manner. Therefore, it is clear that while students are in favour of online courses, there are certain challenges that they face while trying to adopt it as a primary mode of education. However, as technology advances, the scope and nature of online courses would improve and that can 5 pave the way for a smooth transition towards effective and enhancing online learning approach. 3. Research Methodology The current research takes a positivistic stance that helps in collecting objective and quantitative data in an accurate manner (Aronowitz and  Ausch, 2000). A positivistic research approach is best suited when the research is aimed at obtaining data that is needed The current research use quantitative methods of data collection as these enable the collection of data in a timely manner from a large number of people (Barker, 2005). Quantitative methods also yield data that is amenable to statistical analysis and hence gives an objective analysis of the findings (Bell and Opie, 2002). As such the current research employs survey questionnaire method for collection of needed information. The survey is implemented by meeting the research participants in person and asking them to give their responses on a questionnaire that contains multiple choice close-ended questions. The survey method is quicker to implement than a qualitative interview schedule, and it yields to the point and objective data on variables that the researcher has predetermined to be relevant to the research (Bryant and Charmaz, 2007). The 10 research participants are selected from among the people known to the researcher and who are currently enrolled in an online course program for their Masters’ level education. As such, the sample selection is based on a convenience sampling method, which has an inherent limitation of being prone to bias as the selected set of participants are not selected per chance but based on the researcher’s presumptions (Bryant and Charmaz, 2007). A random method of sample selection on the other hand ensures that the sample resembles the 6 main population more closely (Creswell, 2007). However, as there was no alternate way for the researcher to obtain a list of students that may be enrolled in online courses, selecting participants from among the acquaintances or friends was the only option available. The selected participants were sent the questionnaire through email and they sent the completed survey too through email. The questionnaire is based on the findings from the survey of the literature that provided the basic information from research on the perceptions of students toward online course materials. The questionnaire contained multiple choice questions in the format of the Likert-style scale that is scored from 1 to 5 (Fisher, 2004). The questions evaluate the perceptions of the students about their online courses, and are scored with 1 denoting a strong disagreement with a statement and 5 denoting a strong agreement with the statement. The total scores of each student are calculated between 8 (for all questions answered with the choice of strong disagreement) and 40 (with all questions being answered in strong agreement). A higher score indicates a positive perception about the online course, while a lower score indicates a negative perception. The answers of the respondents are analysed using the excel software and findings presented in the form graphs and charts. Analysis of the findings is done with the objective of assessing the main advantages or problems related to the online courses as perceived by the students. The research takes into account the ethical considerations that are needed for any research conducted using humans (Cho and Trent, 2006). The participants were provided with information on the survey and why the researcher wanted their opinion and their informed 7 consent was taken. The data collected was kept confidential and individual names were not mentioned in the findings. 4. Research Findings The research findings are presented below in the form of table 1 Table1: Respondents’ Scores on the questionnaire Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 total score STUDENT1 5 5 4 4 5 3 5 4 35 2 4 4 3 5 5 2 4 3 30 3 3 3 2 3 5 2 3 2 23 4 3 3 2 3 5 2 3 2 23 5 3 2 2 2 5 2 3 2 21 6 2 2 2 2 4 2 3 2 19 7 2 2 1 2 4 1 3 2 17 8 1 2 1 1 4 1 3 1 14 9 1 1 1 1 4 1 2 1 12 10 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 11 The Q1, Q2 are the research questions on which the participants have provided their responses ranging between 5 and 1 (5 indicating strong agreement with the statement elaborating good points of the online course and 1 indicating strong disagreement with the same). The scores of the individual respondents are further tabulated to show the proportion of students who perceive their online courses as good or poor quality. 8 Table 2: Proportion of Students’ Perceiving their Online Courses’ Quality Scores No. of Students Perceptions regarding quality of the online course 8 to 10 0 poor 10 to 20 4 average 20-30 3 good 30-40 2 very good The above table show that 50% of the students consider their online course as good or very good while another 40% state that they think their course is of average quality. There are no students who think that the online course is of poor quality. These findings indicate that large number of students who enrol in online courses may think that the course is good or better than average, and may be satisfied with their education. This is perhaps the reason why a large majority of Universities offer online courses (Ho and Swan, 2007) a there is acceptance of this mode of education and there appears to be an available and growing market for the same (Mazzolini and Maddison, 2005). However, as the literature review found, there are several factors related to the content, presentation and use of technology and the mode of delivery that may impact on the overall quality of the course (Ho and Swan, 2007). This is further elaborated by conducting analysis of these individual factors that were gauged using the eight questions of the research questionnaire. The following figures highlight the 9 perceptions of the students on factors related to the quality of the content, presentation of the website. Figure 1: Perceptions of Students’ on the Ease of Understanding the Content It is seen from the above that the content, which according to the literature review is one of the most important quality factors related to online courses (Nachmias, 2002), is not considered to be of easy to understand by the current research participants. Similarly, as seen in the following figure 2, a large majority of the students (40% + 20%) think that they do not get sufficient content and information that can help them understand the course. 10 Figure 2: Perceptions of Students’ on the Sufficiency of the Content The following figure depicts students’ dissatisfaction with the lack of engagement of the online content offers. Figure 3: Perceptions of Students’ on the Contents’ ability to Engage and Interest 11 Figure 4: Perceptions of Students’ on the Website Navigation The above figure shows that the majority of the students find website navigation for their online course difficult. However, the availability of the content at all times is considered as good by majority of them, as seen in the following figure. Figure 5: Perceptions of Students’ on the 24-hr Availability of the Content 12 Figure 6: Perceptions of Students’ on the Content Interactivity The above figure highlights the fact that the online courses lack in interactivity which is desirable by the students. In addition to the factors related to the perceptions of students’ about their own ability to complete the course with motivation and discipline are considered to be important factor that decide the success of the online course (Tallent-Runnels et al, 2006). In the current research too, the students were asked if they were able to remain self-motivated. The following figure shows that the responses were not skewed in any particular direction. Majority of the students remained neutral while only 20% accepted that they found it difficult to remain disciplined and self-motivated. 13 Figure 7: Perceptions of Students’ on their ability to remain self-motivated and disciplined The final question explored the perceptions of the students about the online course’s effectiveness to provide them with the same career opportunities as any regular course. The figure below shows that 70% of the students consider that online degree may not be at par with the regular degree. Figure 8: Perceptions of Students’ about their Career Prospects 14 5. Conclusions The research found that factors like quality of content, quality of website, ease of navigation, continuous availability of the course material are essential for the success of any online course (Allen and Seaman, 2010; Ho and Swan, 2007, Palloff and Pratt, 200). It also found that the students’, who were currently enrolled in different online courses, found that their courses did not provide them with sufficient material, or content that was easy to understand. It was also found that there was lack of interactivity which may lead to lack of interest in the course (Picciano, 2002), and though students liked the flexibility provided by the online course being available 24 hours, they found it difficult to remain motivated to work in the absence of feedback or interaction with others. Overall the research found that the majority of the students found the online courses good but they also had doubts about the courses’ ability to provide them with their desirable jobs. It can be presumed that there are several problems related to lack of interaction or engagement with online courses which can be rectified using better educational technologies to develop better lesson plans and by adding more interactive interphase. There is also a need to make the online courses more recognized by the corporates so that students’ graduating through online programs are treated at par with the regular students. 15 Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire Name: Course: Course Duration Q1: I find the online lectures available with my online course easy to understand Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Q2: I think the online lectures available with my online course provide sufficient information that I need to understand the subject? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Q3: I think the online course provides interesting and engaging content that I can remember easily Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Q4: I find the online course material well formatted and the website easy to navigate Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Q5: I think that online lectures availability at all times is helpful for your studies Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Q6: My online course is interactive and allows group discussions or question and answers Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Q7: I have the motivation and self-discipline to work on my own through the online course Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Q8: I think I will have equal job opportunities as someone who has done a regular course Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 16 References Allen, E., & Seaman, J. (2010). 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