Abstract
Students perceive online courses differently than traditional courses. Negative perceptions can lead to unfavourable learning outcomes including decreased motivation and persistence. Throughout this review, a broad range of factors that affect performance and satisfaction within the online learning environment for adult learners will be examined including learning outcomes, instructional design and learner characteristics, followed by suggestions for further research, and concluding with implications for online learning pertinent to administrators, instructors, course designers and students. Online learning may not be appropriate for every student. Identifying particular characteristics that contribute to online success versus failure may aid in predicting possible learning outcomes and save students from enrolling in online courses if this type of learning environment is not appropriate for them. Furthermore, knowing these learner attributes may assist faculty in designing quality online courses to meet students’ needs. Adequate instructional methods, support, course structure and design can facilitate student performance and satisfaction.Keywords: online learning; learner characteristics; instructional design; online learning outcomes(Published: 27 August 2015)Responsible Editor: Meg O’Reilly, Southern Cross University, AustraliaCitation: Research in Learning Technology 2015, 23: 26507 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.26507
Highlights
Students perceive online courses differently than traditional courses
Several key questions come to mind: What makes online courses successful in terms of student outcomes and satisfaction? Are there particular student characteristics that contribute to positive learning outcomes? What aspects of online course/ instructional design contribute to academic achievement and which represent barriers that impact success (Dabbagh 2007)? Clearly, attrition rates still remain high for online courses as compared to traditional learning environments, with figures anywhere from 10% to approximately 50% higher (Moody 2004; Park 2007; Park and Choi 2009; Tirrell and Quick 2012)
The main findings from the literature supported learner characteristics and skills needed to be successful and satisfied with online learning. What emerged following this narrative synthesis was a profile of the successful online student: one who demonstrates greater EI, that is, self-awareness of needs, adequate management of feelings (Berenson, Boyles, and Weaver 2008), self-regulation skills, self-discipline, time management, organisation, planning, self-evaluating (Eom, Wen, and Ashill 2006; Kerr, Rynearson, and Kerr 2006; Muilenburg and Berge 2005; Ruey 2010; Song et al 2004; Waschull 2005; Yukselturk and Bulut 2007), reflective/visual learning styles (Eom, Wen, and Ashill 2006; Means et al 2010) and internal locus of control (Berenson, Boyles, and Weaver 2008; Kerr, Rynearson, and Kerr 2006).These findings are not surprising considering the nature of online learning
Summary
Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA (Received 1 November 2014; final version received 30 July 2015). Identifying particular characteristics that contribute to online success versus failure may aid in predicting possible learning outcomes and save students from enrolling in online courses if this type of learning environment is not appropriate for them. Knowing these learner attributes may assist faculty in designing quality online courses to meet students’ needs. Identifying particular characteristics of students that contribute to online success versus failure may aid in predicting possible learning outcomes and save students from enrolling in online courses if this type of learning environment is not appropriate for them
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