College Students and Online Courses

¶ … College Students Choose Online Courses Over Traditional Ones

The fact that today's college students select so many online courses over traditional ones (even the same exact course) is perhaps surprising, especially for those who themselves attended a college or university when no such courses existed. Such individuals might question the appeal (and the educational value) of such remote, relatively anonymous courses. The topic is relevant to faculty, administrators, staff, and students at colleges and universities everywhere, worldwide. The topic is significant to the field of instruction because it bears on how instruction takes place: online, in the classroom, or perhaps in combination, or through other technological means like satellite television. The topic is significant to instructional design because online courses must be designed differently from traditional ones, with chat rooms, e-mail, bulletin board dialogues, and postings typically replacing class discussion. More detailed course content is delivered in writing, over the internet. The topic is significant to instructional technology because technology makes online learning and teaching possible. Online instruction technology is also always changing, necessitating new online learning and teaching methods, training, and instructional design.

The topic of online student learning could be explored through a quantitative, a qualitative, or mixed approach, but would likely yield the best result through either a quantitative or a mixed investigation. One quantitative approach might be to survey two groups of students, those enrolled entirely or mostly in online courses, and those enrolled entirely or mostly in classroom courses, over a pattern of two or more semesters, and From those two identified groups (online and non-online students) the researcher would select a population sample to survey and/or interview about why they prefer either online or traditional classes. The survey method would be strictly quantitative; the survey/interview method would be mixed, and an interview only method would be qualitative. Of these three, I feel a quantitative approach, using statistical analysis of sample population responses would work best.

There are many ways of collecting samples consisting of both online and traditional students. The first important first step in selecting a sample is to be able to recognize a pattern in particular students' typical mainly online (or non-online) course selection, over a period exceeding just one semester. Students showing a trend one way or the other for two or more semesters could be invited to participate in the study. The size of the sample would depend on the size of the school and its online and non-online student population(s), but should be determined in advance to make sure the sample is large enough for statistical significance.

The paragraph should introduce the topic, state why there is impotrance in the topic, indicate why the topic is significant to the field of instruction, instructional design, and/or instructional technology. Write one paragraph for each topic indicating whwther it is best explored within a quantitive, qualitative, or mixed approach.

WRite one paragraph for each topic indicating where and how you might be able to collect a sample to study the topic.

2. Determine why companies in the service industry experience high turnover rates.

The service industry is a giant part of the economic sector. Moreover, it increases in size every year, as more manufacturing and industry jobs go overseas and laid-off workers take lower-paying service sector jobs. Additionally, many students, part-timers, and (increasingly) elderly, once-retired workers hold or will hold service sector jobs. Like the steady increase in online learning, hiring (and turnover) in service jobs will increase over time. Although this topic is not as directly related to education as is online learning, it is in fact related. Turnover means job dissatisfaction, and more and more service industry workers (especially older ones) are returning to school. The topic is significant to instruction because it increasingly has to do with who will enroll (especially at community and vocational colleges, for retraining, certificates, or associate's degrees) and what enrollees will want (and need) to learn. This topic bears on priorities, values, and educational and other goals of such students. In Las Vegas, Nevada, for instance, a high school diploma is sufficient to secure an entry-level job at a casino that pays a living wage. This is heady stuff for a younger adult, but by 30, the same person is burned out ready for change, and may be headed to college, usually for the first time. Instructional design and delivery will be different for that student than for an 18-year-old. This learner will demand more "real-life" relevance in instructional content. The topic bears on instructional design because this learner is a busy adult, likely with a spouse and children, who will therefore prefer online courses. The topic bears on educational technology for that same reason, but also because older students may be less computer-savvy than will younger ones, and need coaching to survive and thrive in online courses.