Article Critique on "Online Learning Quality in Higher Education"

Article Critique 6 pages (2175 words) Sources: 6

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Since my research looks explicitly at the perceptions and experiences of black and brown students, it is difficult to appreciate the degree to which the findings and conclusions apply to a population that can be differentiated from the population in the selected research article. A related issue has to do with the interactions of students and faculty (or readers and tutors), as the perceptions of students might be considerably different when they receive feedback or advising from faculty (or readers and tutors) who are of a different race or ethnicity than the student. Indeed, these considerations point to another aspect of the theory that seems to warrant future research: How do the roles and actions of assigned tutors or readers influence the perceptions of students with regard to their online coursework?

Some parts of the theory seem incomplete, prompting me to want to ask several questions of the author. Many online courses have assigned tutors or readers whose job it is to monitor the interactions of students when they post discussions and submit papers. These tutors and readers can serve as effective mentors of students when they perceive that some individual instruction or intensive instruction may be needed for a student to be successful. Given that students enrolling in online courses may be from locations all over the globe, there may be cultural or languages differences that impact students' abilities to communicate easily and effectively. Which of the interaction factors addresses these two common situations? I don't believe these situations are covered by the faculty-student interaction factor since faculty generally have higher status, and less interaction with students, than do the online tutors or readers or mentors.

The examination of this theory has increased my knowledge of developing my own theoretical framework by illustrating that the four interaction factors posited by Moore may not be entirely sufficient for the analysis of students' experiences when they are enrolled in online courses in higher education. As I work to develop the literature review, I will seek articles that address diversity as an important focus in the research on the experiences and perceptions of students of color who are enrolled in online courses. Moreover, cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity is an appropriate and necessary consideration of each of Moore's four interaction factors. I would suggest, in fact, that an exploration of this topic would be an appropriate extension and update of Moore's original work.

References

Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2008). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: foundations for success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Boulos, M., Taylor, A., & Breton, A. (2005). A synchronous communication experiment within an online distance learning program: A case study. Telemedicine Journal and e-Health, 11(5), 583-593.

Duhaney, D.C. (2004). Blended learning in education, training, and development. Performance Improvement, 43(8), 35-38.

Duhaney, D.C. (2005). Technology and higher education. Challenges in the halls of academe. International Journal of Instructional Media, 32(1), 7-15.

Hartman, J.L. & Truman-Davis, B. (2001). Institutionalizing support for faculty use of technology at the University of South Florida. In R.M. Epper & A.W. Bates. Teaching faculty how to use technology: Best practices from leading institutions (pp.39-58). Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.

Hiltz, S.R. & Turoff, M. (2005). Education goes digital: The evolution of online learning and the revolution in higher education. Communications, 48(10), 59-64.

Laverde, A.C., Yashley, S.C., & Rodriguez, H.Y.R. (2007). Toward an instructional design model based on learning objectives. Education Tech Research Development, 55, 671-681.

McGuire, C. & Zhang, J. (2000). Defining blended learning in the GDLN context: Effective blended learning for development, Global Development Learning Network (GDLN). Handout for the Canberra Videoconferencing Workshop of the Association of Asia Pacific GDLN held in April 18, 2011.

Parker, K., Lenhart, A., & Moore, K. (2011). The digital revolution and higher education: College presidents, public differ on value of online learning. Pew Social and Demographic Trends. Pew Research Center.

Sands, P. (2002). Inside outside, upside downside: Strategies for connecting online and face-to-face instruction in hybrid courses. Teaching with Technology Today, 8(6).

Young,… READ MORE

How to Reference "Online Learning Quality in Higher Education" Article Critique in a Bibliography

Related Article Critiques:

Higher Education Organizational Models Thesis

Higher Education Models

Higher education has seen significant revolutions over the course of the decades since the popularization of communication media such as the Internet. This has resulted in the… read more

Thesis 5 pages (1589 words) Sources: 3 Style: APA Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

Education Higher Education Is the Foundation Term Paper

Education

Higher education is the foundation for growth within our global economy. Students, who properly utilized the system to its fullest extent, garner life altering skills and abilities. These skills,… read more

Term Paper 6 pages (2335 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Economics / Finance / Banking

---

Historical and Socio Cultural Analysis of Online Learning Term Paper

Online Learning and Education

Technology can provide a valuable advantage for students in the classroom. The opportunities for teachers to enhance instruction using computer technology are tremendous. However, the literature… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (747 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act Thesis

Higher Education

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act

In higher education, one new privacy and security policy that is being talked about in 2009 is how to verify the identity… read more

Thesis 8 pages (2629 words) Sources: 8 Style: APA Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

Online Education Term Paper

Online Education

Online Learning vs. Traditional (in-Class) Learning

Whether students prefer online learning or in-class learning largely depends on many factors, including how much socialization a student is looking for… read more

Term Paper 28 pages (9159 words) Sources: 15 Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>