Online Sport Management Education: What Students’ Qualitative Comments Tell Us About Their Perceptions of Learning

Abstract

What do students perceive they are learning in the online setting? Using students open-ended comments on the Student Assessment of Instruction (SAI) instrument, researchers employed a case study approach to explore students' perceptions of instruction in the online and face-to-face settings in an undergraduate sport management course at a regional comprehensive university in the North Carolina state system. Qualitative results indicated that online students highlighted that the types of assignments were interesting and the structure of the course was helpful toward understanding expectations. Face-to-face students highlighted learning, having enjoyed learning, and the knowledge and enthusiasm of the professor. Thematic results revealed that online students distinguished the administrative aspects of instruction; whereas, students in the face-to-face setting expressed themes centered on the conceptual or theoretical aspects of instruction. The themes identified in this case study offer guidance to educators who are interested in refining their online courses so as to stimulate students conceptual and theoretical learning.

The Challenges and Realities of E-Learning during COVID-19: The Case of University Sport and Physical Education

“…In both surveys, the open-ended questions focused on the set-up/preparation for e-learning, structures and tools used, challenges, successes and avenues for improvement. Broadly speaking, the chosen questions reflect themes present in other literature that address issues around satisfaction and engagement with e-learning tools in sport [23,30,31]. Furthermore, these questions directly relate to the research questions outlined above and help us identify the impact of the switch to e-learning, challenges, successes, and potential avenues for improvement.…”