Introduction
Online education, sometimes referred to as distance education, is a fast growing delivery mode for course content. Students are accustomed to learning online. Their expectation is that educational opportunities are available to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This expectation grows out of modern busy schedules that include the pressures of childcare, and jobs that require travel or odd hours. Some students cannot attend school and pursue a degree if this mode of delivery is not available. The online learning environment facilitates participation in education because it is practical to the users. It provides instructors with unique opportunities in presenting course material. Educational institutions can enjoy the reduced stress online education places upon their physical facilities. For these reasons and more one can expect online distance education to grow. So if this mode of instructional delivery is so desirable and widely available, then why do many students who take online courses drop out?
I taught online classes and assisted faculty in designing online classes for over 8 years. It is a challenging process due to constant changes in technology. However, despite improvements in technology one common reoccurring issue that faces faculty and administration is the retention of students. It is observed that online students drop out at a higher rate than do students taking traditional courses. Why is this so? This article is a single case and will examine the relationship between the structure of the online course and the learner’s experience in an attempt to answer this question. It is assumed that if the student has a more positive experience, then retention rates for online courses can increase and individual students will gain more from their online learning experience.
Study Details
The observation setting is the an “Orientation to Online Learning” online classroom. The participants in this classroom were professional teachers looking for credits that allow them to move up in their pay scale. This course was a prerequisite for a 15-credit certificate program. Completion of the 15 credits awarded the participants with an “Online Teaching and Learning” certificate. The online classroom was designed using WebCT 4.1, which served as the course management tool. The course was an accelerated two-week course. An Internet connection and a browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Netscape was required for students to participate.
A volunteer was selected from this group of students. The volunteer had to be willing to install (CamStudio) recording software on his or her computer. This recorded the volunteer’s navigation steps within the course using the recording software and a webcam to record facial expressions. The volunteer also had to be willing to install Skype for the interview process.
Spradley (1980, p. 48) warns us not to jump into challenging situations until we have learned the lessons about “gaining access.” Based on this, Ms. H. was selected to participate in the current study because she was highly motivated to learn new online techniques. She was willing to download new software on her computer to record the sessions. Ms. H. is a single working mother in her mid-40s. She has taken classes online before and has solid computer skills. From June 15-19, 2007, four 10- to 15-minute sessions of her online course navigation were recorded. The sessions captured her experience with the course in real time. She recorded her online navigation using a webcam and the CamStudio program. These experiences were used to structure a follow-up interview. On June 22, 2007, she was interviewed (using Skype) concerning her experience navigating through the above course. The interview was recorded using Power Gramo online recorder.
Researcher Role
As Glesne (2006) states, “you need to clearly define your research roles” (p. 46). In this study the researcher’s role was that of an observer. The researcher was hidden from the subject and did not drive the direction of the study participant (Merriam, 1998). The observation was conducted using a webcam and recorded with CamStudio software (see Figure 1 for a snapshot of the video taken during observation). The think aloud session was later transcribed and analyzed by the researcher.
Observation
Ms. H. started navigating the course by clicking on the Welcome button. This gave her a positive feeling and she became excited when she heard the instructor’s voice. She listened to the message carefully and repeated the important information out loud. She then navigated to the course information and looked at the syllabus. Here she read the content and made mental notes of what was important. She was pleasantly surprised to discover that office hours are available online and that she did not have to drive to campus. After looking through the syllabus she then navigated to the activity checklist and carefully analyzed it. Ms. H. has taken at least 20 online courses and seemed to know her way around an online course. She can be considered an advanced user. Ms. H. found this course fairly easy to navigate. However, the audio clip that welcomed her to the course was a new feature for her. She was excited and pleasantly surprised by it.
Her navigation from one screen to another was smooth. She did think that the communication tools that grouped mail and discussion board may be confusing for first time users. However, she commented that the course would lose its overall intuitive quality by changing it.
Observation:
Okay, here I am on my course I think I should click where it says welcome pause
Okay, I am waiting play okay I have to hit play. Oh, it is an audio. That is my teacher.
Interview:
when you were listening to the welcome I could see your face lighting up thinking wow this is my instructor.
Yeah this is the first time I had an audio welcome message. I have not had audio welcome message before they all have just been something you read.
I think the communication icon being actually broken down into other icons. Which it does once you click on communication. It does break down into discussion board and mail. But if you are a first time user it might be helpful to actually see those things first and not have to click and see that just that old thing as “everything hanging off the end of your nose.” Ha ha … but that is pretty much the only thing of that as a first time user having it right there and maybe not make a logical connection of oh communication mail ha …
Okay, I see your point
But then you’ll have more icons on the homepage
Narrative
The interview reviewed the experiences captured in the recording of the four segments of live online work or interaction with the course. It was a surprise to discover that Vygotsky’s communication theory or inner speech was captured in the recorded observation.
Observation:
Let us look at WebCT mail. How do I send a message? Compose message?
how do I know who to send it to, I guess I can click on the browse button and click it. Okay, In the pop up window I recognize the first name, in there is my instructor. But I do not recognize the other names. So I click on the first name and highlight it and click select see what happens, oh it put it right into my send to spot. So this is going straight to my instructor and it has as send button here as well. I’ll come back when I actually have something to send.
As a result the interview covered several topics that focused upon the intuitiveness and flow of the course. The interview started with a brief coverage on overall ease of navigation and course organization. It then evolved into a discussion on specific topics. It appeared that Ms. H. was using her prior knowledge at times “I guess I can click on the browse button and click it …” and at times she was using the computer as a tool to guide and learn “OK” in the pop up window I recognize the first name, in there is my instructor.” Ms. H. discussed the value of the home page’s organization and how the syllabus clearly sets the course expectations. The use of the icons on the home page also made it easier for her to figure out where to start (see Figure 2 for an example of the home page). The select use of icons and the syllabus helped her stay on track and progress through the course in a logical fashion. Specifically she discussed how the opening of one icon led her to then open another in a logical and guided progression. Additionally, she discussed how the audio greeting found on the home page provided her with a sense of having received a personal touch from the instructor. It gave her a sense that the instructor was available to her.
Interview:
How did you feel about the audio vs. the written message? Was it better for you and your style of learning or …
I read well and comprehend well so I do fine with the reading. The audio is just nice because it gives you a bit more insight or a little bit more personality of the instructor. Where you can get some of that personality with the text but not a lot it is pretty cut and dry. But, yeah, with the voice and the audio you kind of get a feel of your instructor more, more personal …
Ms. H. was asked about potential changes to the course. She did not have anything specific to add. She was satisfied with the course structure. She stated that in her past experiences with online education she had to search for information because her instructor did not create links and provide clear references. Having easy access to resources was a clear incentive to taking another online course. Therefore the current course overcame these objections. A complete transcript of the interview is found in Appendix A.
Development of Issues
Carswell and Venkatesh (2002) conducted a study on web-based methods of instruction. Specifically, they investigated learning outcomes associated with the asynchronous distance education format. They gathered quantitative data and augmented it with qualitative data. The study made use of two theoretical perspectives from the technology literature and from the education literature to predict student reactions to this learning environment. The study included approximately 1,800 part-time graduate students that yielded 540 useful responses. The results from the qualitative portion of the survey were disappointing in that they did not reach statistical significance. This may have been due to inadequacies in the learning outcome measures they selected.
However, the results from the qualitative portion of the survey were interesting. They found that if students are willing to use online learning technology, then the use of various forms of technology does not create an issue for students. A student’s sense of satisfaction and performance is not altered if they are willing to make use of the technology. To students the issue is not so much the course learning environment, but rather the way the course is organized and taught. They want a course that is intuitive and where the resources for their success are readily available. Also, the instructor needs to be seen by the students as providing additional value. The instructor should not be seen as a taskmaster who merely asks for assignments to be completed, or a parrot that repeats the readings.
Carswell and Venkatesh organized student comments into five categories. These five categories provide the students’ insights into what makes the online environment effective and are described below.
Course Organization: Students were concerned about the ease of finding materials and information about assignments such as requirements and due dates.
Instructor Characteristics: The instructor’s responsiveness and perceived value to add something to the learning experience above and beyond what is provided in the course readings was seen as important by students.
Learning Style: If a student felt the course and medium matched their personal learning style and preferences then participating in an online environment was seen as a good match.
Student Interaction: Students perceived value in the course if interactions with other students provided something in addition to the readings and the instructions.
Social Presence: The relative availability of the instructor and fellow students was also seen as important to students. This could be either online or through other means.
Carswell and Venkatesh’s categorization of student comments is especially interesting because of their relation to the comments made by Ms. H. during the course of her interview. She specifically commented on the following:
A clean and well-organized home page that made it easy to figure out where to start. She further commented that this was useful to her because her learning style was more visual than auditory.
The logical nesting of icons to guide the learner through the steps required to complete the course.
A well-written syllabus that provides clear expectations.
An audio greeting that makes the instructor appear to be more available and personable.
Clear links to resources and information that is required for completing assignments and making the most of the course.
The availability of the instructor who in this course held virtual office hours, rather than held office hours at his or her physical office or substituted e-mail exchanges for set hours.
Four of the five Carswell and Venkatesh categories were spontaneously discussed by Ms. H. The only one she did not discuss was the availability of other students to interact with and facilitate the learning process (see Table 1). Ms. H.’s issues concerning an online course is aligned with those students who participated in the Carswell and Venkatesh study.
Closing Comments
Clearly the present investigation is a case study that includes only one subject. The results may tell us more about Ms. H. than about other online learners. However, insomuch as her general topics parallel those made by subjects in a larger study there is reason to lend credibility to her insights. The case study approach allows us to probe and study course design specifics in detail to further uncover how to best facilitate user intuitiveness by improving course design, increasing the perception of instructor availability, and making better use of student learning styles. Since this case study was done at the beginning of the course, the data are lacking. There needs to be further observations at midpoint and at the end of the course to provide an overall picture of the course’s design. Therefore, further research needs to be conducted.
About the author
Appendix A
Interview transcript
Ms. H interview for Pilot study 6-22-07 by Vartouhi Asherian
Hello.
Ms. H Interview Summary
| Course Organization | Instructor Characteristics | Learning Style | Student Interaction | Social Presence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean and well organized homepage | × | × | |||
| Nesting of icons | × | × | |||
| Clear instructions (syllabus) | × | × | |||
| Audio message | × | × | × | ||
| Clear links | × | × | |||
| Availability of instructor | × |
Hello.
How are you this morning?
I am doing great.
Now just because we are recording this session it’s not going to work. But Murphy’s Law you know …
I have couple of windows popping up here. And you are Ms. H for the interview.
I want to ask you couple of questions because it was very interesting when I went back and looking at the observation where you clicked and how you clicked in the course. First of all, is this your first online course that you have taken?
No, no this is not.
How many classes have you taken before?
Oh my goodness.
Just roughly.
20
20 online classes?
Perhaps, perhaps
Wow
So I would consider you definitely an advanced user.
I think so. <giggle>
Let me ask you this. Compared to these online classes you had taken, how different or similar this course was organized?
Eh pritty similar, it had a home page. It had the start here syllabus eh … you know course content laid out your assignments the emails the discussion boards and then the grades where you are able to look up your grades and kind of keep track on how you are doing in the course.
So it did not trough you off when you see the communication tools you figured there should be some other tools in there such as mail and discussion in there.
You know once it dawned on me because some of my courses have said communication and some have had separate icons for email WebCT discussion board etc. It just, I guess, it doesn’t really through you off it just looks different and you have to remember oh yeah communication logically that would be any type of communication so I probably should look here for WebCT mail and for discussion board. It does not through you off but it lets you think and pause for a minute.
The other question I had is that when you were listening to the welcome message it was kind of … I could see your face light up thinking, “Wow this is my instructor.”
Yeah this is the first time I had an audio welcome message. I have not had audio welcome message before they all have just been something you read.
How did you feel about the audio vs. the reading was it better for you and your style of learning?
I read well and comprehend well so I do fine with the reading. The audio is just nice because it gives you a bit more insight or a little bit more personality of the instructor. Where you can get some of that personality with the text but not a lot, it is pretty cut and dry. But yeah with the voice and the audio you kind of get a feel of your instructor more … more personal.
Okay interesting.
And when you looked at the course if can think back about the homepage. What do you think when you look at the homepage. Like what do you have in mind to start looking at first? To search for what is it that you want to look at first and search if it is not on the homepage.
If it is obvious of course it would be an icon that the instructor puts up that says start here or welcome. I think that’s were you should go first if such one exists. If it does not the syllabus … first place, I would go because then usually the welcome is embedded somewhere in the syllabus, if nothing else and then the bio of the instructor and then of course what is expected in the course. So that is the place I would start.
Did you feel overwhelmed when you were looking at the course homepage?
No, no. It was pretty not necessarily self-explanatory but it was clean it was not cluttered. It was not a cluttered home page. You could clearly see where to go. There was plenty of blank space as in the fact that it was not wall to wall icons. So it was easy to follow. Which is nice. And also, because it was not wall to wall icons you are not overwhelmed thinking oh my gush I got to click on all every icons there is much to do. So I like that. Some that have wall to wall icons you just look at it and feel like you are behind and you have not even yet started.
How about what did you find helpful to guide you in the course what was the most helpful thing in the course as you got started on it?
It kind of there were directions within the syllabus it lets you know where you could find other things. Then when you went to the communications tool the other icons then popped up to be more specialized for exactly for what you were looking at. So it kind of progressed in a logical way. You did not really have to hunt and search kind of thing necessarily. You did have to stop and think because it was not at the end of your nose but it was right there.
Okay
When you first look at the course. Imagine this. This is something you may want to take a minute to think. But when you first look at the course where do your eyes go to start looking for information? Do you look right top left, bottom left or right bottom? Where does normally you have a tendency of looking at when you are navigating? And after that, which direction do you go? Is there a sequence to the madness here is what I am looking for.
I have found. Of course I am not a first time user of online courses. But I have found generally that there is a sequence or some set of order. Generally left to right. There may be 2 rows. But it is generally 1 go to the right and usually I have found the syllabus to be in the left hand side in the first row. That is what I have generally found. Either the syllabus or welcome to be to be there. Then you proceed across either 3, 4, 5 icons depending and then underneath possibly another row. But that is what I have generally found it to be. Occasionally … here has been a welcome kind of … right in the center. But it is generally there is … there is some kind of pattern.
From the student point of view on this course particularly. What would you think would be helpful if it was changed? Like icon location or information wise. If you can think back I know you may have forgotten it already but just thinking back is there something you may want to have changed to pop up easier for maybe someone not as experienced as you?
I think the communication icon being actually broken down into other icons. Which it does once you click on communication. It does break down into discussion board and mail. But if you are a first time user it might be helpful to actually see those things first and not have to click and see that just that old thing as “everything hanging off the end of your nose.” Ha ha … but that is pretty much the only think of that as a first time user having it right there and maybe not make a logical connection of oh communication mail ha …
Okay, I see your point.
But then you’ll have more icons on the homepage.
I think one other question again from the learner perspective. Do you have more tendency of clicking on the homepage icons or clicking on the left hand side course menu which is a more of a sequential list?
I use both. Unfortunately I have found in some courses one works and one doesn’t, which it should not be. They should both work. I do like the icons just because I also like pictures. I am a very visual. I am text base but I do like pictures. I guess I do have a tendency to use the icons on the home page.
Do you think that is a learning style preference or is it a …
I think it is a learning style preference one the visual, and then too I think some perhaps the first time users may not know to click on the words so they will go to the pictures. Or vise versa, I do not know that first time users would know without investigating. That they can use either or. Once I get into the course and am going between page to page. I find it easier using the course menu then always going back to the homepage finding the cute little icons and moving on.
That makes sense.
Yeah.
So it can be used interchangeably depending on where you are in the course.
Definitely, definitely I like having the option of both.
I know I am jumping around here at this point. I was looking at the observation notes when you read through the part that office hours are online. You kind of chuckled and you were kind of happy about that. Can you elaborate on that?
Yes, yes when I take an online class one of the reasons I take an online class is because my time is so short my work schedule and my childcare and so it kind of defeats the purpose in my mind of and online class to only have office hours that you have to be at a physical office to go and visit your professor. So I like those professors that have the virtual hours. And that tell you exactly what they are. Not just send me an email and I’ll respond. Which is nice but actually virtual hour that you know they are on call during that time period. So if you have something pressing you know you can get an immediate response. So I like that. That is very nice.
Couple more questions.
When you went to post a discussion. Were the steps intuitive? Or does it come from experience, or what can an instructor do to make it obvious and easy for the students to post their postings on the discussion board.
Boy. Some of them come from experience. Because the quick and easy thing is it does not say send it says post. Because it comes in the format of an email so I guess you are used to seeing send. Your private email usually always says send. This says post. So you just need to realize that it means the same thing. It’s going to take it from your place to someplace else. Ha ha. So that was the only thing I think off the bat that might through some people and really it is in the same spot down the lower left hand side it should be fine or in the upper left. Otherwise it has a spot for subject. I guess as long as students realize that discussion board and when you look at it is obviously divided into some week by week or topic depending on you know what the instructors divided yours had different topic character and vocabulary. So to me it was obvious so if you had to post something you go post it under that particular topic.
One last question. You do not have to give names or specifics. Thinking back from the multiple courses that you have taken. Think of a course where you were so lost navigationally trying to find your information. Give an example if you have had such a course. And did you feel like that this is a course that I am so frustrated I cannot find the information, I want to drop, and that was a reason for you to drop the course or even think you want to drop the course?
I have not dropped a course just because time and finance did not permit to be able to do that for that particular reason. But there are some that it’s a waist of your time as the student. You are having to work twice as hard to just find the information. The instructor has needlessly made it twice as hard on you and twice as much work just to find your info not even doing it, not even participating just hunting and finding where it is at.
Have you had that happen?
Yes. I really do not like that. And could be that the instructor is not aware, because they have never navigated it from the student’s viewpoint. I do not know. But it is very frustrating. Because again generally the reason you take online course is because time is at a premium you have 24/7 access and you want to get on you want to find your stuff and you want to do whatever is required. So I do not like homepages that are cluttered.
Aha.
Because you have to decipher which icon goes where, which is the most important and you click on some of them and they are almost ahhh fillers. They do not have … What they have can be found under another icon as well. So there was really no need for that icon it was just to make you do one more click open one more thing look at one more thing that you could have found somewhere else. So it was just a time consumer. Which I do not like.
Thank you.
