Open AccessComparison of Student Experiences with Different Online Graduate Courses in Health Promotion
Author(s) -
Stanley Varnhagen,
Douglas A. Wilson,
Eugene Krupa,
Susan Kasprzak,
Vali Hunting
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
canadian journal of learning and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1499-6685
pISSN - 1499-6677
DOI - 10.21432/t2x60f
Subject(s) - psychology , asynchronous communication , computer mediated communication , qualitative research , content analysis , mathematics education , distance education , instructional design , promotion (chess) , graduate students , educational technology , teaching method , medical education , pedagogy , computer science , the internet , world wide web , medicine , computer network , social science , sociology , politics , political science , law
The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of students as they progressed through three specific online graduate courses in health promotion studies delivered primarily by asynchronous computer conferencing. Focused teleconference discussions were conducted with approximately 45 students from the different courses and the transcripts subjected to qualitative analysis. Themes that emerged included what new students appreciated most when adapting to learning online, factors that contributed to learner satisfaction, and the difficulties encountered by students taking a course when the content was not as well suited to the instructional method. The findings are discussed in relation to the three components of Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry model of learning: cognitive, social and teacher presence. Implications are presented for assisting students with the process of adapting to online learning and enhancing the ‘fit’ between course content and online instructional methods.