A Cross-institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?

Abstract

A study was conducted to examine instructional characteristics of quality in online courses and their relationship to student outcomes in online courses at a National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements 2-year and a 4-year higher educational institution. Instructional characteristics included learner support, course design and organization, content design and delivery, interactivity (student-instructor and student-student), and assessment. A student survey instrument was created that captures student perceptions of the instructional characteristics of their courses, their learning, and their satisfaction with the courses. The data collected from the student survey was merged with data from institutional student information systems (e.g., demographics and course grade). This article examines the relationship between these instructional characteristics, sometimes referred to as indicators of online course quality, and their relationship to student outcomes for all students and for underrepresented students. Additional analyses were conducted to examine differences among underrepresented students (e.g., minorities, first-generation, low-income, students with impairments or disabilities) using MANOVA. Significant findings are reported.

How Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Higher Education Learning Experience? An Empirical Investigation of Learners’ Academic Performance at a University in a Developing Country

“…Mostly, students with low GPA were deprived of one-to-one personal support and advise offered by senior students, teaching assistants, and mentoring staff. According to Joosten and Cusatis [21], students who require more assistance or are struggling academically expect greater communication and interactivity from their instructor. e greater their perception of instructor interactivity, the greater their perception of learning.…”

Faculty Perceptions of Online Teaching at a Mid-Sized Liberal Arts University

“…The results of a recent federal funded study suggested that the indicators of online course quality (i.e., learner support, course design and organization, content design and delivery, interactivity, and assessment) had significant relationships with students' learning, satisfaction, and academic performance in online courses at a higher educational institution (Joosten & Cusatis, 2019). Faculty members' desires to regulate and restrict online learning in order to preserve the quality of education at an institution is an area that could be investigated in more detail in the future.…”

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“…One important way to improve student-student interaction is through group work. Research has shown that meaningful group work can have a positive impact on student outcomes [17]. Not only do groups aid in building a learning community, avoiding the feeling of isolation frequently associated with online learning, but they do also provide the opportunity to apply concepts and theories, while allowing students to develop relevant skills that will probably be useful in their professional lives [17].…”

“…Considering the importance of group work in online learning [17], guilds present the potential to improve students' sense of belonging and, consequently, course engagement which will eventually lead to higher grades and increased student satisfaction.…”