Developing an online learner satisfaction framework in higher education through a systematic review of research

Abstract

Satisfaction is a critical aspect of student success in online education. In this systematic review, we examine 98 articles which studied various aspects of online learner satisfaction. We specifically analyzed publication patterns, context, research methodology, research instruments, and research themes and factors pertaining to online learner satisfaction research. Among these 98 studies, the journal Internet and Higher Education published the highest number of articles (n = 8), and the majority of studies were conducted in the United States (n = 37). Thirty five percent of the studies were conducted with undergraduate students. The majority of the studies (89%) was quantitative, 68% were descriptive, and 94% used surveys. Learner characteristics was the most examined theme, followed by engagement and course delivery. Program quality, assessment, and learner support were some of the themes that were least studied. In 46 studies researchers adopted or modified existing items or instruments to measure student satisfaction. The framework benefits both online learning practitioners and researchers.

Fuzzy logic approach to assess the effectiveness of online course delivery in management education: a case of B-school from India

“…Reyes-Fournier et al (2020) developed a psychometric scale comprising of instructor's presence (sharing professional experiences, enthusiasm, presentation skills and a novelty in explanation, creative and meaningful examples), engagement (offline and online availability and timely response to questions), expertise (subject matter knowledge and respect for students) and facilitation (clear expectations with schedules and deadlines). In terms of learner satisfaction, the online learning satisfaction (OLS) framework proposed by Martin and Bolliger (2022) considered four themes: (1) learner-related parameters involving learner characteristics and learning strategies; (2) instructor-related parameters involving faculty characteristics and instruction facilitation; (3) course-related parameters involving instructional design, course technologies, quality and assessment and (4) program and organization-related parameters involving learner support, program HESWBL 13,3 quality and course delivery. However, the domain of business education and an appropriate framework for assessment of effectiveness in the discipline remained unexplored by the literature.…”

Institutional, program, and professional community: a framework for online higher education

“…Our research points to important elements that need to be considered when creating a framework for building and sustaining online program communities in higher education. These elements include, but are not limited to, students’ perceived feelings of connectedness in online programs (Bolliger & Inan, 2012 ; DesArmier & Bolliger, 2019 ; Jamison & Bolliger, 2020 ); student support, management of communication, and documentation of professional growth (Bolliger & Shepherd, 2010 ; Shepherd & Bolliger, 2011 , 2014 ); student engagement in online environments (Bolliger & Halupa, 2018 ; Bolliger & Martin, 2018 , 2021 ); and online student satisfaction (Bolliger & Erichsen, 2013 ; Bolliger & Wasilik, 2012 ; Martin & Bolliger, 2022 ). Some of our previous research has centered on faculty and students’ perceptions of online community at the program level (Bolliger et al, 2019 ; Shepherd & Bolliger, 2019 ), and academic and social activities on both program and institutional levels that are useful in building and sustaining online community (Shepherd & Bolliger, 2022b ).…”

Strategies for supporting adult working learners in the online learning environment

“…And yet, with the absence of in person exchanges, especially in asynchronous courses, this adds to the isolation adult working learners already often experience in the online environment. An AWL's experience with and feelings toward an instructor significantly impact their overall satisfaction in an online course (Martin & Bolliger, 2022), thus the course design should incorporate a variety of learner‐to‐instructor interaction opportunities. This should include some formal interactions (feedback on assignments, performance) but also more informal interactions between the two (Gebhardt & McKenna, 2019), which demonstrate that the instructor is a real person the learners can relate to in addition to being their instructor.…”

“…Timely and individualized learner feedback is a significant online interaction between the learner and instructor that supports learner satisfaction (Martin & Bolliger, 2022). In addition, feedback is an opportunity for learners to get to know their instructor one‐on‐one.…”