Persistence in doctoral programs has historically been low with less than 50-75% of students graduating from their programs. Though research has been conducted on self-directed learning and doctoral programming, research is scant on self-directed learning readiness in doctoral students and mode of learning (i.e., online or in person). The purpose…

The COVID-19 outbreak has dramatically changed all spheres of humans and caused the interruption of educational settings around the globe. It necessitated the rapid transition of virtual supervision and online service delivery internationally. The present study constructed a model using equity theory and the D&M (DeLone and McLean) model to…

Whether studying physical sciences, social sciences, engineering, mathematics, humanities, or education, approximately one in every two doctoral students fail to persist to degree completion (Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Lovitts, 2001; Tinto, 2012). A quantitative comparative study focused on two populations; students currently enrolled in the…

The problem addressed in this study was that online graduate students are not always clear about the role that academic support may serve in their online education, which may contribute to them not seeking support, even when it is needed. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to explore student and coach perceptions…

This qualitative study examines cognitive presence in a graduate-level online pedagogy course that introduced students to the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. Students wrote weekly reflections that described their own learning and speculated on how they could apply what they learned to create positive online learning environments for future…

This article compares the hireability of doctoral graduates of online and traditional public affairs programs in the United States. In this context, "hireability" refers to the measure of how likely it is that someone may be hired. There has been an expansion in the number of awarded doctoral degrees, particularly through online degree…

Under the constructivist learning paradigm, which emphasises authenticity as a required condition for learning, distance educators have been striving to create authentic learning environments that reflect the real world. However, it is inevitably challenging to make an online learning environment authentic for learners when it is ultimately…

The purpose of this study was to examine master's students' attitudes toward research in music education. Participants (N = 140) were students enrolled in master's programs in music education in the United States who completed an online questionnaire. Participants reported generally positive attitudes toward research in music education, although…

This paper describes a protocol for an effective response to nontraditional online doctoral candidates based on the development of advanced cognitive processes, academic writing skills, and functional knowledge. The Design, Development, Implementation, and Support (DDIS) protocol is a three-phase protocol that integrates the requisite skills,…

This study examined the nature of student engagement, as reported by students enrolled in fully online Ed.D. and Ed.M. programs in an academic unit at a U.S. land-grant university. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design, a Web-based questionnaire was administered (n = 83) and follow-up interviews were conducted (n = 14). The…

Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) is on the rise to cater to non-traditional students. However, the surge in master's and doctoral students opting for ODeL raises concerns about the quality and timely completion of degrees. Existing literature on student attrition in higher education indicates that both student-related factors and institutional…

Online learning in higher education has become commonplace as more working adults and nontraditional aged students return to pursue advanced degrees. Graduate education, specifically, has grown in recent years (Allen & Seaman, 2014), including doctoral degrees. Pursuing a doctoral degree requires writing a culminating paper (e.g.,…

This article describes major but common pitfalls in teaching undergraduate students to engage in critical analysis of sport through two separate large-scale online sport sociology courses (KIN 142 and KIN 249) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Three instructors at varying stages in their careers as graduate students, and…

Despite the importance of interpersonal contact to students' sense of community, little is known about how online students form relationships outside of class. Drawing on interviews with 20 students from one online doctoral program, I explore the ways in which distance learners create community outside of class. In the case study I explore how…

Adult professionals enroll in online graduate programs and rely on social support and on their ability to self-regulate to be successful. The literature on academic self-regulation among emerging adults (traditional college age) is ample, but we do not know how social support interacts with academic self-regulation among adult graduate students at…