Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore whether experienced online students (who have completed seven or more online courses) perceive the quality of their courses differently than novice online students (who have completed three or fewer online courses) or students with an intermediate level of online course experience (those who have completed four to six online courses). Overall, 3,160 online students completed a survey which asked them to indicate the extent to which statements derived from the Quality Matters rubric contributed to student success. The results indicate that students rated some items differently based on their previous online course experience. Novice online learners felt that having netiquette guidelines clearly stated was more important than experienced online learners. Experienced learners rated several items as being more important than novice and/or intermediate online learners, including items related to self-introductions, appropriateness of assessments, relevance and quality of instructional materials, clarity of requirements for interaction, ease of navigation, and availability of required technologies. The implications of these findings for course designers and instructors are discussed.
Highlights
Quality online learning experiences are critical to ensuring positive and beneficial student experiences in online formats
ANOVA tests were conducted to compare the means for each Quality MattersTM (QM)-related statement across the three groups
This study found that there are differences in the perceptions of online course quality based on a student’s level of previous online course experience
Summary
Quality online learning experiences are critical to ensuring positive and beneficial student experiences in online formats. Quality MattersTM (QM) is a program that provides quality assurance through a research-based rubric for online course design (Ralston-Berg, 2014). The rubric underlying the QM program is based on research findings of content experts and instructional designers—the knowledge specialists who have the expertise to define what constitutes quality in online courses. Scholars such as Feigenbaum (1983), Crosby (1979), Deming (1986), and Juran (1989), to name a few, contend quality is not based solely on conformity to specifications as defined by manufacturers or providers of service, and on the perceptions of consumers. Quality means satisfying students’ needs, exceeding their expectations, and maximizing their positive experiences in educational programs (Summers, 2006, p. 51)
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