Summary of

The Learning Styles, Expectations, and Needs of Online Students

Caryn Leigh Burk

EDF 100-01, Candace Bower

Due: April 25th, 2006

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 The empirical article I chose to summarize involved the “learning styles, expectations,

and needs of online students”, written by Davison M. Mupinga, Robert T. Nora, and Dorothy

Carole Yaw. As a student taking online classes here at GCC, I have particular interests in this

topic.

The authors’ abstract centered on the many varying learning styles of students. They

stated that an individual’s learning style is often determined by the interaction levels, and

preference for receiving information. Despite knowing that “any course of study will have

students with various learning styles”(Davison, Nora, & Yaw, 2006), those students learning

styles do not always determine who will choose to take an online course. Simply put, many

students chose online courses for reasons other than their specific learning preference.

Convenience of the “delivery method” also plays a major role in the choice for online course

rather than an on-campus course. The purpose of the study, as stated in the article; was to

establish a pattern in characteristics of online students, which could then be integrated in

developing online instruction.

The method used to conduct the author’s study involved a section of 131 undergraduate

students taking three different online classes in the Department of Industrial Technology

Education at Indiana State University. This particular institution employs two course

management software programs; Blackboard and WebCT. For each class included; materials,

notes, and discussions were posted on one of the software programs to be accessed on the

students own time and schedule. In order to determine the personality type/learning style of the

students, the authors used a “Myers-Briggs type inventory.” (Davison, Nora, & Yaw, 2006)

They were also surveyed by asking the open-ended question, “What are you needs and

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expectations as an Internet student?” that they were able to respond to through email or web-

based discussion boards.

The results of this study were both surprising and inconclusive. Through the cognitive

style personality test, sixteen different types were identified. They are all combinations of eight

major types; extrovert (E), introvert (I), judging (J), perceiving (P), sensing (S), intuition (N),

thinking (T), and feeling (F). Of the group studied, 21 were considered the combination ISTJ

(introvert, sensor, thinker, judger), with another 21 being labeled ISFJ (introvert, sensor, feeler,

judger). The next most frequent was ISTP (introvert, sensor, thinker, perceiver) at 19. This was

followed by ESFJ (extrovert, sensor, feeler, and judger) at 11 and ENTP (extrovert, intuition,

thinker, and perceiver) at 9. Each of the sixteen combinations were represented with the least

being ENTJ (extrovert, intuition, thinker, judger) with only 1 student. Other types were the

ESTJ with 9, INTP with 7, ISFP with 7, INTJ with 6, ENFP with 5, INFJ with 4, ESFP with 4,

ESTP with 3, ENFJ with 2, and INFP with 2 as well.

The results found for the expectations and needs of online students were also interesting.

There were three most common responses describing the expectations of online students, which

were open communication with the instructor, feedback from the professor about assignments,

and the desire for challenging online courses. Of the 131 students surveyed, 83 percent listed

their top expectation as being communication with the professor. Seventy-nine percent of

students said that feedback on assignments was their biggest expectation of an online course.

The third highest was the expectation that the online section of courses would be as demanding

as the “face to face” (Davison, Nora, & Yaw, 2006) sections. Other responses to the

expectations were timely reply to emails, and students also expected to receive verification that

the professor had received assignments when turned in.

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 The unrestricted question also outlined the most frequent needs that online students have.

There were five common results between the students questioned. The most frequent response

was the need for technical assistance using the software programs with 93 percent, followed by

80 percent needing flexible and understanding professors. Several other needs were identified

through the study; needing course information in advance, sample assignments, additional

reference materials, the use of only one course management software program, equal treatment

with on campus students, and grading rubrics for assignments.

The discussion and conclusion of this article states that, “This study did not identify a

particular learning style to be predominant with this group of online undergraduate students.”

(Davison, Nora, & Yaw, 2006). They did discover however that almost half the students

surveyed were considered “introvert, sensor, judgers” based on the Myers-Briggs analysis.

Through my review of this article I think it must also be noted that eighty-seven of the one

hundred and thirty-one were identified as introverts, leaving only 44 as extroverts. Some

conclusion can be made from that information, such as introverts are probably more drawn to

online classes than others. Introverts tend to desire their own environment in which to work.

Clearly, an online class is best suited for that need.

I also think it interesting that the need for technical help was the most frequent answer for

the needs of online students. One would think that an individual who did not feel comfortable

using computers, that they would not select on internet class. From my own personal experience

however, I do realize that other factors determine the choice of online over on campus. Often

times, classroom sections are full which only leave the online counterpart. It could perhaps be

concluded that the forty-four extroverts out one hundred and thirty-one students that were

surveyed in this study, chose online classes for determining factors such as this. The eighty-

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seven who were introverts possibly chose it because they preferred it due to their specific

learning style.

The main advantage or discovery made from this study would be the knowledge that

instructors need to make lesson plans and prepare class materials for an online class that will

cater to many different learning styles; similarly to the way they would prepare for any class.

Evidence of this can be seen in the statement quoted in the article by Robert P. Ouellette, director

of technology-management programs at the University of Maryland University College who

said, “I haven’t been able to find a difference between the students (online vs. face-to-face). The

students in both types of classes seem to be the same.” (Davison, Nora, & Yaw, 2006) Each

student is an individual, whose needs must be met without depending on the type of classes in

which they enroll.

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 Reference

Davison, M.M. , Nora, R.T. , Yaw, D.C. (2006). The Learning styles, expectations, and needs

of online students. College Teaching, 185.

(Davison, Nora, & Yaw, 2006)