The Online First-Year Experience: Defining and Illustrating a New Reality

Korstange, Ryan; Hall, Jeff; Holcomb, Jamie; Jackson, Jasmeial

doi:10.1177/1045159519892680

Cited by 22 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…It seems new-entry learners often take broad university messages that they can study when, how, and what they want, and that online learning is "easier" due to such flexibility (Hyllegard et al, 2008). This may generate misconceptions and inaccurate expectations (Bawa, 2016), such as underestimation of time demands and workload (Korstange et al, 2020), which later impact students' motivation, performance, and time availability. Accurate expectations facilitate student satisfaction and motivation, especially during the critical first year of studies (Henry, 2018).…”

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confidence: 99%

The Tensions Between Student Dropout and Flexibility in Learning Design: The Voices of Professors in Open Online Higher Education

Xavier

Meneses

2021

IRRODL

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Flexibility is typical of open universities and their e-learning designs. While this constitutes their main attraction, promising learners will be able to study “anytime, anyplace,” this also demands more self-regulation and engagement, a cause for student dropout. This case study explores professors’ experiences of flexibility in e-learning design and continuous assessment and their perception of the risks and opportunities that more flexibility implies for student persistence and dropout. In-depth interviews with 18 full professors, who are the e-learning designers of undergraduate courses at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), were analyzed, employing qualitative content analysis. According to the professors, the main causes for dropout are student-centered, yet they are connected to learning design: workload and time availability, as well as students’ expectations, profiles, and time management skills. In the professors’ view, flexibility has both positive and negative effects. Some are conducive to engagement and persistence: improvement of personalized feedback, formative assessment, and module workload. Others generate resistance: more flexibility may increase workload, procrastination, dropout, and risk of losing professorial control, and may threaten educational standards and quality. Untangling the tensions between dropout and flexibility may enhance learning design and educational practices that help prevent student dropout. Stakeholders should focus on measures perceived as positive, such as assessment extension, personalized feedback and monitoring, and course workload calibration. As higher education is globally turning to online delivery due to the COVID-19 viral pandemic, such findings may be useful in both hybrid and fully online educational contexts.

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confidence: 99%

The Tensions Between Student Dropout and Flexibility in Learning Design: The Voices of Professors in Open Online Higher Education

Xavier

Meneses

2021

IRRODL

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“…Indeed, this era of massification of higher education, there are more students struggling than ever before. Micro-learning seeks to address cognitive overload as a major barrier facing many learners today (Korstange et al , 2020), by reducing information volume and making learning materials more attractive and engaging for students (Jomah et al , 2016; Kamel, 2018).…”

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Trialling micro-learning design to increase engagement in online courses

Kossen

Chia-Yi

2021

AAOUJ

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PurposeThis paper reports on how micro-learning design principles are being trialled in an Australian and a Malaysian university to make online courses more accessible and attractive, and a more positive experience, with the aim of increasing student success. Central to this approach is segmenting materials into “bite-size” instalments by way of short micro-lecture presentations and reducing other content. The aim of this “less is more” strategy is to reduce unnecessary cognitive load as an impediment to learning so that focus can shift to prioritising the most essential skills and content. The purpose of this trial is to explore the efficacy of micro-learning as a means for increasing student engagement and learning.Design/methodology/approachThe trials involved a mixed mode methodology drawing on qualitative and ratings data from course satisfaction surveys and records on grades and completion.FindingsTo date, results have shown significant increases in student engagement and satisfaction, and also performance. Our application of micro-learning included reducing volume of content based on its practical value, use of novelty (e.g. infusing guest presenter input) and design of practical and collaborative student activities.Research limitations/implicationsEarly results are encouraging regarding apparent utility for engaging learners and ease of application, i.e. implementability and transference potential. However, the rapidly expanding area of online learning requires further research to establish a well-validated evidence base for effective online teaching practices.Practical implicationsThe findings are relevant to universities involved in online and blended learning. Micro-learning design methods show promise in being able to address major engagement barriers including cognitive overload.Social implicationsMore students are struggling with learning in today's social environment brought about with the massification of higher education. Micro-learning seeks to address major barriers these learners face with methods that go beyond traditional teaching practices.Originality/valueFindings here are encouraging and contribute to existing understanding on ways to increase learner engagement in the competitive and fast-growing area of online learning for universities globally.

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“…Removing the requirement to be in a designated place at a designated time reduces geographic, scheduling, and financial barriers to participation. Taking orientation online also allows the program to function as not just an event but as an ongoing resource, enabling students to revisit content whenever they need it (Gayed et al, 2018;Korstange et al, 2020).…”

Section: Benefits and Challenges Of Going Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Much of the work involved in running online orientation sessions happens before program launch, leaving orientation staff available to respond to student needs and requests instead of focusing on program logistics (Gayed et al, 2018). Finally, online orientation programs can tailor content to different student populations (Korstange et al, 2020). Overall, online orientation can be a more flexible, time-effective, and economical means of providing programming to a large number of students than an in-person event (Gayed et al, 2018).…”

Section: Benefits and Challenges Of Going Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Effective Online Orientation Programs for First-Year University Students

Crozier¹

2021

JCOTR

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While asynchronous, self-paced online orientation programs are not brand new in the field of orientation, transition and retention, COVID-19 forced many institutions to rapidly create a program for the first time to help welcome fall 2020 students. Using the community of inquiry model as a framework, this literature review explores the research related to orientation and online learning in an effort to identify the principles, practices and processes that can help a student affairs professional to design an effective and engaging online orientation program, or enhance an existing program.

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The Online First-Year Experience: Defining and Illustrating a New Reality

Cited by 22 publications

References 26 publications

The Tensions Between Student Dropout and Flexibility in Learning Design: The Voices of Professors in Open Online Higher Education

The Tensions Between Student Dropout and Flexibility in Learning Design: The Voices of Professors in Open Online Higher Education

Trialling micro-learning design to increase engagement in online courses

Designing Effective Online Orientation Programs for First-Year University Students

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