Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Final Project Report-On-Line Classes
Final Project Report-On-Line Classes
Final Project Report-On-Line Classes
On-Line Learning
Mandy Moore
Arkansas Tech University
ON-LINE LEARNING
I.
II.
III.
Student Information
Mandy Moore
Mmoore53@atu.edu
T#01179211
North Arkansas College
Registrars Assistant
Project Site Information
North Arkansas College
1515 Pioneer Drive Harrison, AR 72601
Stakeholders Information
Charla Jennings
Registrar
charlam@northark.edu
My goal is to meet 1-2 times a week for at least an hour to discuss the nature
of my project.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Northark-North Arkansas College
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background.4
Purpose of Project...6
Problem Identified...8
Research Methods and Materials...15
Analysis and Findings15
Recommended Action Plan20
References..23
Appendix A25
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Background
Student retention is one of the most widely studied areas in higher education. As the
environment for higher education has changed from one of plenty to one of diminishing
resources, there has also been a heightened focus on the part of institutions and states alike on
increasing the rate at which students persist and graduate from both two- and four-year colleges
and universities. Not surprising, there has also been an increase in the number of businesses and
consulting firms that have sprung up each of which claims unique capacity to help institutions
increase the retention of their students. It would not be an understatement to say that student
retention has become a big business for researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs alike. But for
all that, substantial gains in student retention have been hard to come by. Though some
institutions have been able to make substantial improvements in the rate at which their students
graduate, many have not. Indeed the national rate of student persistence and graduation has
shown disappointingly little change over the past decade.(NCES, 2005a) The fact is that
despite our many years of work on this issue, there is still much we do not know and have yet to
explore. More importantly, there is much that we have not yet done to translate our research and
theory into effective practice. It is therefore not unreasonable to ask what else we need do to
further improve the effectiveness of our work on behalf of increased student retention and
enhanced institutional effectiveness. What additional research questions must we ask, what
issues need we explore to more effectively address the continuing problem of student attrition in
higher education?
There has been a steady increase in the number of students taking online courses. It was
estimated that there were 3,077,000 [students] enrolled in all distance education coursesin
ON-LINE LEARNING
2000-2001. Fifty-six percent of two and four-year degree-granting institutions offered some type
of distance learning and 90 percent of those institutions deliver at least some of their courses via
the internet.(DOrsie & Day, 2006) Moreover, as of fall 2007, nearly 4 million students
participated in online courses, and 30% of institutions with education related degrees (teaching
credentials and graduate degrees) had completely online programs.(Allen & Seaman, 2008)
Recent data stated that the University of Phoenix online program was now the fourth highest
ranked institution of degree producers for minority baccalaureates.(Borden, 2009) Given this
steady increase in online courses, more and more universities see the need to examine how to
offer their curriculum online in order to continue to attract students
When students are asked why they chose to take an online class, the most common
answer is probably convenience. This response is not surprising considering that the primary
reason for online education is to serve students who are unable or find it difficult to attend oncampus classrooms. Online courses accommodate students by allowing them the flexibility to
attend school at a time and location that is convenient for them. Even though online courses are
a growing trend, students need to consider the differences between online education and a
traditional classroom education before deciding which form of instruction to take.(Bejerano,
2008) On-line classes seem to be becoming a more popular avenue to both the younger and
older generation of folks. On-line classes and traditional classroom classes both have the same
goal in mind, to provide quality education to students and to help them earn a degree.
Traditional college classes require a student to be present and to take notes while the instructor is
giving a lecture on the lesson. The presence of the student is mandatory and if they do not attend
regularly they take the chance of their grades suffering.
Internet is perceived as the outgrowth of US Defense Department work and popular
enthusiasts.(Guice, 1998) The internet is about to cause a minor revolution within the, in many
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other respects, conservative world of higher education. Not only has the Internet for some
students outperformed university libraries as the main source for information and facts, it is also
challenging face-to-face lectures as a teaching tool. Today, stand-alone online courses and
complete degree programs are offered via the Internet by many universities. Also virtual
universities have appeared, giving entire courses over the Internet, with some of them not even
having a campus and therefore no on-campus students. The progress in this direction is going
fast and it is probably not possible, or even desirable, to stop. However, it is sometimes wise to
reflect, just for a moment or two, on the increased supply of online courses in higher education.
What are the pros and cons of this development?
On-line classes give the luxury of attending at the convenience of the student. They can
log-on to the computer when it is convenient to them and submit homework when they have
completed it. The on-line environment does still have deadlines that have to be met and thats
where the self-discipline of the student comes in.
Purpose of the Project
The objective of this project is not to validate all pros and cons of online classes in higher
education and to come up with the answer to whether online classes, from an economic
perspective, good or bad. Online learning is more than just putting course materials online, it is
a process to design a system, which requires experts of different fields.(Wu, 2016) Instead, there
is a narrower perspective in that the main purpose of this project is to reflect on and summarize
some of the existing empirical knowledge regarding the most important determinants of student
success in college courses. In particular, we will focus on the question of whether students who
attend an online-based course, where the Internet and on-line technology are used to a high
degree as a teaching tool, tend to perform better or worse compared to students who attend
ordinary, face-to-face and campus based courses, where the Internet and on-line technology are
used to a low degree, or not at all.
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Online classes at Northark impact the community greatly. Northark is housed in Boone
County in the city of Harrison in Arkansas. The residents pay a millage to the college. The cost
of a college class can range from $85 per credit hour all the up to $180 per credit hour. Northark
is one of the top schools in Arkansas to attend due to the tuition being so low. If college is
cheap, students have a strong incentive to spend those savings on anything that can give them an
edge over their fellow students.(Youngberg, 2012) Students can afford Northark. The good
thing about Northark is that it is remotely centered in the middle of all of the surrounding
counties which makes it convenient for on-campus students if they choose to commute.
However, if a student from out of state wants to attend an on-line class because the class is more
affordable that helps with the on-line class statistics but also helps grow the population of
Northark.
Distance education programs allow the university to move beyond its traditional brick
and mortar structure and become a global presence.(Byrd, 2015) One of the advantages of
online courses is the fact that it is now possible to reach students who otherwise would not, for
different reasons, have undertaken college classes. This could be due to practical reasons such as
their family situation not allowing them to move to a college town. Or the individual might
prefer to attend an online course or a complete online based degree program as online courses in
many cases offer more flexible study hours. For example, a student who has a job could attend
the virtual class watching instruction films and streaming videos of lectures after working hours.
Online courses make it possible for students to live far from campus. Whatever the reason, if
online courses attract students who otherwise would not have attended higher education, this is
of importance from a policy perspective as it has a positive effect on the accumulation of human
capital.
ON-LINE LEARNING
Other potential pros of online courses relative to campus equivalents relate to the other
actors, the providers of higher education. From the universities point of view, online courses
could be more cost-effective compared to campus courses if it means that the university can
teach more students using the same or less resources compared with an equivalent campus based
course. For instance, if the teacher can re-use materials such as streaming videos of lectures
several times it could decrease the teachers time for preparation and realization of the course the
next time the same course is given, meaning that both teachers and universities save resources.
Problem Identified
The problem is that onsite requirements for some students are a deterrent for persistence
in online classes. This issue is considered a problem in our college because if we are unable to
retain the students then our success rate will slowly diminish. Also, this causes a
misrepresentation of services (Students cant trust that their online class will be 100% online.)
Its important to North Arkansas College to find a solution to this problem because we
want to market the online programs as truly being 100% online. Also providing convenient
online classes falls in line with Northarks mission of providing high quality, affordable,
convenient opportunities for learning and community enrichment. By doing this, this will
ensure Northark is meeting the needs of all the students and offering them a convenient, flexible,
affordable online education.
If Northark doesnt resolve the problem then it risks declining enrollment and eventual
market share loss due to competition in online program offerings. The consequences of not
addressing the problem could result in students being unable to fulfill the requirements for an
online degree, students dropping from online classes, and/or students transferring to fully online
programs. Northark has to change the way it operates. This could mean a shift towards face to
face enrollment programs (Skill-based Allied Health, Technical Programs, Developmental
ON-LINE LEARNING
Education, etc.) The transfer education courses become more blended in their delivery so that
they reduce the seat time in all classes and there by maintaining Northarks mission.
Retaining a student is fundamental to the ability of an institution to carry out its mission. A
high rate of attrition (the opposite of retention) is not only a fiscal problem for schools, but a
symbolic failure of an institution to achieve its purpose. Below is a comparison table of online
and face-to-face college classes.
Online
Instructors sense
of control
Face-to-face
control
2. Easier for participants to
from Instructor
2. Not so easy to ignore
ignore instructor
Condition of
meeting
instructor
to arrive
2. No latecomers or early
others to arrive
2. People leave during the
leavers, etc.
Mode
meeting, etc.
impermanent
stark
Physical context
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meeting
5. Less controllable
6. Sometimes deadlines are not
adhered to since it is
etc.
3. Time important and is a
limiter.
4. People leave during meeting
for other meetings
5. Controllable
6. Deadlines usually adhered
online work
Work/discussion
1. Work on multiple issues at
item
2. Work is condensed and
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10
maintained
4. Depth of analysis often
focused
3. Little group contact in-
increased online
5. Discussion often stops for
between meetings
4. Analysis varies, often
they are
7. Often little time for
reflection during meetings
8. Less likelihood of
1. Dynamics 'understandable'
face-to-face; participants
before
2. Anxiety at beginning/during
meetings
3. Participation unequal and
of this
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11
without participation
8. Medium (technology) has an
participation may be
impact on dynamics
9. Different expectation about
frowned upon
8. Medium (room) may have
participation
10. Slower - time delays in
less impact
9. Certain 'accepted'
interactions/discussions
expectations about
participation
10. Quicker - immediacy of
interactions/discussions
Accessing other
groups
easily
2. Can see who is working in
groups
2. Can't participate in other
other groups
3. Can participate in other
groups
3. Can't see what is happening
groups easily
Effects of medium
to others in groups
Effects of room/location?
Psychological/emotional
Absence of
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12
rejoining
stress of rejoining is high
1. Feedback on each
of people's work
discussion
2. Group hears feedback
3. Verbal/visual feedback
4. Possible to "free-ride" and
high
give feedback
5. Permanent record of
feedback obtained by all
6. Delayed reactions to
feedback
7. Sometimes little discussion
after feedback
8. Group looks at all
time
Total effort of
group
Divergence/choice
1. Loose-bound nature
level
encourages divergent talk
requiring adherence to
accepted protocols
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13
McConnell, D. (2000)
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14
compiling data. She agreed to provide feedback and submit the questionnaire back to me via
email. I attempted to contact Mrs. Tay Sha Carter from Northwest Arkansas Community
College. I was unsuccessful in reaching her, even though I left several voice mails and messages
with her assistant. And I asked Mrs. Charla Jennings who is from North Arkansas College.
The purpose of the questionnaire was to compare similarities between the three colleges
listed and Northark.
Analysis and Findings
The focus of this project is whether students who attend an online-based course, where
the Internet and on-line technology are used to a high degree as a teaching tool, tend to perform
better or worse compared to students who attend ordinary, face-to-face and campus based
courses, where the Internet and on-line technology are used to a low degree, or not at all.
The results that I received from Mrs. Hollands survey indicated that UACC-M do offer a
few online classes. Their online classes do, in fact, fill up sooner than the face-to-face classes.
UACC-M is approved for an on-line Associate of Arts program, but she was unsure if every
course was actually being offered strictly on-line. When asked if there was a significant
difference in the success rates of on-line students and face-to-face students Mrs. Holland stated
that it really depended on the self-motivation of the student. She said that they do see lots of
visiting students wanting to enroll in on-line courses to meet a graduation requirement from other
institutions. She indicated that more students that are enrolled in face-to-face classes withdraw
themselves than do on-line students. But they also see many administrative withdrawals from
face-to-face and on-line classes. There is an attendance policy in place for both types of
classroom settings and if students do not abide by the policy then they are dropped with an AW
by the instructor. When asked what was happening in a face-to-face environment that could not
be duplicated in an on-line class she said that there could possibly be more missed
communication in an on-line class. Face-to-face courses typically get immediate feedback,
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15
whereas on-line instructors may not understand the question or may not respond back in a timely
manner. Students that enroll in an on-line course are not required to come to campus for
anything regarding their course. All work is done strictly on-line. However, some instructors
may require proctored exams at a location near them. For example, their testing center proctors
exams for web courses taken at other institutions as well as their own. There are some hybrid
courses that do require students to come to campus for part of their course. UACC-M does not
have an on-line learning center, but they do have an on-line tutoring through www.NetTutor.com
that is free to UACC-M students. It operates 24 hours a day for math and writing only, but times
vary in other subjects. They do offer face-to-face tutoring in their Academic Commons building.
Mrs. Kim Bigger from Black River indicated that yes, their college does offer on-line
classes. Their on-line classes do fill up faster than their face-to-face classes. They offer two online degrees, Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice.
There is no significant success rate between on-line students and face-to-face students.
Regarding their withdrawals, Mrs Bigger indicated that they actually have more students in faceto-face classes. She stated they actually retain more on-line students. Face-to-face classes are
completely different than on-line classes at Black River Tech. They have found nothing that has
been taught in a face-to-face class that cannot be taught in an on-line class. She indicated that
the delivery was different in some material, but the curriculum is the same. On-line students are
not required to come to campus for any part of their class. Black River does offer an online
learning help center, Smart Thinking. Also, instructors are required to get back to students
within 24 hours of submission of materials or questions.
Mrs. Charla Jennings from North Arkansas College indicated that they do have on-line
classes. Their on-line classes do typically fill up quicker than their face-to-face classes.
Currently Northark offers 4 Associate degree online: Associate of Arts, Associate of Applied
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16
Science Degree in Business, Associate of General Studies and Associate of Science Degree in
Business. There are 3 certificate programs that Northark offers as well: Certificate in
Accounting, Certificate in Administrative Support and Certificate in Small Business
Management. When asked if there was a significant difference in success rates of on-line
students versus face-to-face students Mrs. Jennings indicated that on-line has a slightly lower
success rate in overall classes (71%) compared to face-to-face classes (74%). These statistics are
based on a C or better grade. Online classes have a slightly higher rate (11%) than face-to-face
classes (8%). On-line classes at Northark are basically replicated in face-to-face classes. Online instructors may require a student to come to campus to complete any part of their class,
which is left up to the discretion of the instructor. Currently Northark does not have an on-line
learning help center.
Here are the numbers for the past 5 consecutive Fall semesters. The charts represents
enrolled headcount but then is broken down as face-to-face, completely online and then if they
are a hybrid.
Fall 2015
Face-to-Face
Hybrid
Online
Fall 2014
Face-to-Face
Hybrid
Online
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Fall 2013
Face-to-Face
Online
Hybrid
Fall 2012
Face-to-Face
Fall 2011
Online
Hybrid
Face-to-Face
Online
Hybrid
Analysis
I worked with the Registrar from Northark and gathered the data from the past 5
consecutive fall semesters to show the total full-time and part-time students that enrolled at
Northark for the fall 2015, fall 2014, fall 2013, fall 2012 and fall 2011 semesters. The data was
broken down to reflect which students were enrolled in face-to-face classes, strictly online
classes and then hybrid classes, which are a combination of online and face-to-face classes.
The enrollment numbers continued to decline but fortunately for Northark the students
that continued on and even the new ones that Northark was able to pick up proved that on-line
classes are steadily rising in numbers.
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18
It is important for Northark to track the increasing enrollment numbers of on-line classes
so that they can decide which classes are preffered on-line and which ones are better off staying
as face-to-face classes. The more online students that they obtain and the more interest that is
show in on-line classes will not only help boost degree success completion but will also help
with the realization that on-line classes are a preferred method versus face-to-face.
Findings
When the data was compared by semester it did show a steady increase in online
enrollment. With technology advancing the way it is North Arkansas College should continue to
see increasing enrollment in online classes.
All of the colleges with the exception of one indicated that they all did have on-line
classes. They all indicated that on-line classes were typically the first to fill up. And they all
indicated that there was not a huge difference in face-to-face and on-line criteria.
I was able to retrieve enrollment numbers from Northark and I compared the fall semester
for the past 5 consecutive years. This showed an increase in enrollment of on-line courses. I did
not ask for data from University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton or from Black River
Technical College. This would have been possibly more substantial evidence in order to prove
that enrollment is growing for more colleges rather than just North Arkansas College. This
report was done just on the basis of on-line class growth from Northark. This will have to be a
future priority for this project so that the findings can be reevaluated if need be.
Recommended Action Plan
Online education at North Arkansas College should be viewed as a resource to support
the Missions and Vision of Northark. There are several technologies which have proven
effective in driving teaching and learning to higher heights in educational learning
environments.(Mbuva, 2014) While face-to-face learning on Northarks campuses is still
optimal creating mechanisms whereby students complete more learning, even if online, should
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be viewed as superior to a situation in which students assemble larger and larger portions of their
degree. Online education is a means towards supporting our statewide liberal arts and sciences
by bringing Northark quality programs and liberal learning to those non-traditional audiences
who cannot come to Northark but would benefit from our coursework.
There are ways to improve enrollment for online classes. Access to Northark online
classes should be improved for both traditional and non-traditional students interested in a
Northark learning experience. Maybe Northark could consider offering a short snippet of what
an online class consists of to show that an online class is achievable, that it doesnt have to be a
scary experience.
Faculty and administrators should make a thoughtful effort to identify and develop those
courses which are truly appropriate for online delivery. The college should work with schools
and departments to identify courses that are considered a vital piece of the puzzle for completing
a degree online. The college should work with schools and departments and conduct a needs
assessment and demand analysis to establish viability of new online courses in targeted areas.
The college could incentivize faculty involvement in the development of online courses.
Northark should investigate the student/public need and/or advantages of developing and
implementing online classes.
Efforts should be made not only by faculty but also by staff, too that ensure online course
offerings are of consistently high quality and in keeping with nationally established bests
practices.
Assessment strategies should be developed that take into account the inherent
differences between teaching in face-to-face and online environments. The new strategies should
be implemented with an eye toward assessing both the effectiveness of the instructor, as well as
the effectiveness of the delivery modality.
North Arkansas College strives to make education and learning a fun environment for all
of its students whether it be in an on-line class or in a face-to-face environment. What they need
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to hear more of is from the students. They need to poll and survey several sets of students. They
need to poll 1st time entering freshman all the way up to seniors and get a feel for what the
students want. They need to also poll all faculty and staff to see what kind of feedback the
students are giving to them. On-line classes are becoming more and more popular with the new
and older generations. People are wanting to be able to take classes at their own convenience.
Northark needs to be able to open up more sections when they see that an English or Math class
is overcome and they are having to make people go to face-to-face classes. Employers are
typically pretty good about working with students schedules, but children arent as
understanding. So its important for a parent to be able to choose an on-line class so that they
will be able to work on it while the child is asleep or in school.
With budget restraints being so tight Northark does have a bit of a dilemma in order to
meet every request that a student offers. However, they can keep the results of the surveys that
they take and keep the findings at the top of their priority list. Not everything has to be
implemented all at once. More on-line equipment may be purchased when the budget would
allow. An instructor could take on one additional class. Then one additional section could be
implemented into the schedule. This whole process is time consuming and will probably take
years to implement a huge change. However, if Northark can make a difference in just one life
that is a mountain of success. After all, Rome wasnt built in a day.
References
Allen, I, & Seaman, J. (2008). Staying the course: Online education 2008. Boston, MA The
Sloan Consortium.
Bejerano, Arleen R. (2008). Face-To-Face or Online? Face-to-Face is Better. National
Communication Association. 3(3)
Byrd, Jennings, Roufagalas, John, & Mixon, Phillip. (2015) Tuition Sensitivity in Online
Education. Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research 16.3(2015):25-41
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DOrsie, S., & Day, K. (2006). Ten tips for teaching a web course. Tech Directions, 65(7), 1820.
Guice, J. (1998). Looking Backward and Forward at the Internet. Information Society, 14(3),
201-211. doi:10.1080/019722498128827
McConnell, D. (2000) Implementing computer supported cooperative learning. London:
Kogan Page Limited.
Mbuva, James M. (2014) Online Education: Progress and Prospects. Journal of Business and
Education Leadership 5.1(2014):91-101
National Center for Education Statistics (2005a). College persistence on the rise?: Changes in 5year degree completion and postsecondary persistence rates between 1994 and 2000.
National Center for Education Statistics, Statistical Analysis Report 2005-156.
Washington, DC, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and
Improvement
Wu, Xuelian, Liu, Ying, Zhang, Yingjie, & Ji, Lili. (2016). Providing Quality Online Education
for Continuing Education. International Journal of Information and Education
Technology 6.2 (2016):157-161
Youngberg, David. (2012). Why Online Education Wont Replace College. The Chronicle of
Higher Education. 1.1 (2012):1
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Appendix
(3) How many degrees do you offer that are completely on-line?
(4) Is there a significant difference in the success rates of online students versus
face-to-face
students?
(5) Regarding withdrawals, do you have more student withdraw from online
classes or face-to-face?
(6) Regarding classroom classes what is happening in the classroom that could
not be duplicated by an online class?
(7) Are online students asked to come to campus for any part of their class?
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23