This design-based research study explored whether "sense of community" was maintained while flexibility in the course was increased through an adoption of a unique blended learning model. Data collected in this study show a significant drop in the sense of connectedness score from a mean of 50.8 out of 66 to a mean of 39.68 in the first…

Epistemic and learning beliefs were found to affect college students' cognitive engagement and study strategies, as well as motivation in classroom settings. However, the relationships between epistemic and learning beliefs, motivation, learning perception, and students' actual learning participation in asynchronous online settings have been…

U.S. public university system policies were examined to learn how credit hours were determined for asynchronous online education. Findings indicated that (a) credit hour meaning and use are not consistent, (b) primary responsibility for credit hour decisions was at the local level, and (c) no policies exist to guide credit hour application for…

We analyzed individual and program characteristics associated with participation in an Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)-based substance use preventive intervention in Uruguay, South America. The intervention was directed at ninth- and tenth-grade students in 10 private schools in Montevideo. Participation in the program was…

This paper outlines an action research project involving the development of an educational online role-playing website, known as Lake Devo. Designed in keeping with constructivist principles, the website is used in select post-secondary courses at Ryerson University and allows learners to work synchronously, using visual, audio, and text elements…

This article presents research from a qualitative study exploring five secondary English teachers' professionally oriented participation online. Drawing upon Cole's (1996) "surround" and "weaving" views of context, the specific line of research featured here was guided by the following question: What are the features of the…

Adjunct faculty members teaching online often experience feelings of isolation and lack of connection to the larger academic community. The current study examines the impact of teaching circles and the effectiveness of teaching circles in creating a sense of community for online adjunct professors in the asynchronous learning environment. Factors…

Peer assistance activities can strengthen online learning environments. And yet, like other professional adult learners, working post licensure nurses attending university part time to upgrade their credentials may have limited interest in student-to-student interaction. Some intentionally choose asynchronous self-paced courses so they can work on…

This dissertation aims at investigating the speech act of disagreement as it is carried out linguistically in an English-language asynchronous online forum between unacquainted Americans and Thais (TEFL and TESL). The analysis and interpretation of the data are based on both "emic" and "etic" perspectives, in the framework of…

A hybrid course, which combines the face-to-face interactions of a traditional course with the flexibility of an online course, provides an alternative option for educating students in a new media environment. While educators often interact with their students through various electronic learning management systems that are set up within the…

The effectiveness and potential of asynchronous online courses hinge on sustained, purposeful interaction. And while many factors affecting interaction have been uncovered by prior literature, there are few accounts of the relative importance of these factors when studied in the same online course. In this paper, we develop a literature-informed…

Asynchronous discussions are a useful instructional resource in the online communication course. In discussion groups students have the opportunity to actively participate and interact with students and the instructor. Asynchronous communication allows for flexibility because "participants can interact with significant amounts of time between…

The purpose of this study was to examine what it is to be a mother and a band director from the perspectives of 15 women. The researcher hoped to create a document which will be helpful to band directors who are or who someday may become mothers. According to statements made in the Band Director Group on Facebook, there is a need for a sense of…

One of the challenges experienced by students of instructional design is eliciting user participation when designing and developing products for course or program projects, particularly over multiple cycles of evaluation. Student projects do not normally have budgets to engage recruitment companies or provide participant incentives. This paper…

Web 2.0 technologies have a range of possibilities for fostering constructivist learning and observational learning. This is due to the available applications which allow for synchronous and asynchronous interaction and the sharing of knowledge between users. Web 2.0 tools include online social media applications which have potential pedagogical…