Online collaborative discussion (OCD) focuses on promoting individual knowledge inquiry and group knowledge construction through active peer interactions and communications. In practice, it is necessary to explore how different modes of OCD come into play, in which student engagement can function as an evaluating indicator. To identify student…

An increase in online learning has created a set of new challenges for higher education institutions. Institutions seek to retain students and ensure they are engaged in their courses. This paper examines forms of engagement that traditional and nontraditional students perceive in their online asynchronous graduate courses at a public flagship…

Although online courses have been a part of academia for nearly 30 years, they are still perceived as "different" than face-to-face instruction. Through in-depth interviews with four instructors, we explored how STEM faculty approach teaching asynchronous online undergraduate STEM courses. The faculty interviewed for this study viewed…

In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education and adult learning, asynchronous video-based online learning has not only become the new norm but has also emerged as the cornerstone of instructional delivery for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Despite its widespread adoption, this learning mode confronts a critical challenge: the…

Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are a critical component of online learning, enabling students to exchange ideas and interact with peers in a flexible manner. To explore the interrelationships between social presence and cognitive presence, and how these two presences are connected across various instructional strategies used in AODs, this…

Synchrony, or the timing of information as it is exchanged between participants, has garnered increasing study in online learning. Within this domain is bichronous online learning (BOL), the blending of asynchronous and synchronous elements within one learning environment. Some research has identified mobile instant messaging as quasi-synchronous…

Today's college students can choose from a multitude of learning modalities. Many students elect to earn their degrees through 100% online college programs; however, online learners present higher attrition rates than their on-ground peers (Grau-Valldosera et al., 2019). Many theorists attempt to explain how students can succeed in college,…

This study investigates student engagement in asynchronous forums in distance learning by focusing on the interactions of 204 students across four classes. It aims to understand interaction evolution and influencing factors over the course of each class. Data analysis reveals an initial high involvement that declines markedly over time for each…

This dissertation investigates the role of multimedia applications in enhancing student engagement in higher education, with a particular focus on the dynamics of asynchronous discussion forums and lurking behaviors. Leveraging multimedia applications facilitates dynamic, inquiry-based discussions that promote deeper cognitive engagement and…

Online asynchronous courses require close attention to course design to ensure there are strategies in place to foster social presence to build stronger senses of community and to motivate students to engage (content, peers and instructors). Judicious use of social media may serve this purpose. Since its inception, social media, Twitter in…

Student enrollment in online courses continues to grow as student retention rates continue to decrease. Student disengagement in learning directly impacts online nursing programs' attrition and retention rates. The problem addressed in this study was students' disengagement with learning in asynchronous online nursing courses. The bioecological…

Learning management systems (LMS) are essential components of courses, yet student engagement on these platforms remains a significant challenge. Traditionally, grades have been used to incentivize student engagement, but this approach comes with drawbacks. In this paper, we explored an alternative form of incentivization, gamification, that has…

Professional development is viewed as a lifelong learning process for educators to improve student instruction and professional skills (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). Online professional development for teachers of students who are visually impaired (TVIs) provides opportunities for continuing education, including for earning of recertification…

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an asynchronous e-text, "Library 101," in teaching students about library resources and services. Developed in a collaboration between the eLearning librarian and Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, the "Library 101"…

In recent years, online education in institutions of higher learning has exponentially expanded the application of digital approaches to learning. The Learning Management Systems (LMS) used by online instruction provide a variety of tools to enhance learning with peers and instructors (Yount & Neild, 2022). One such tool, Asynchronous…