Asynchronous Online Courses Research Articles

Strengthening Online Psychology Students’ Sense of Belonging with Social Annotation: An Experimental Study

Sense of belonging is associated with postsecondary student success outcomes and has largely been studied within face-to-face course contexts. The increasing demand for online courses after the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates identifying ways instructors can foster belonging in their online courses. This study experimentally tested the effect of using social annotation on students’ sense of belonging in asynchronous online courses. Students in two psychology courses ( N = 44) were randomly assigned to complete annotation assignments individually (control) or in groups using a social annotation platform (treatment). Students completed a course-level sense of belonging measure at the end of their courses and indicated their perceptions of social annotation. Sense of belonging was significantly higher in the social annotation condition, particularly for the introductory-level psychology course, and students reported positive perceptions of social annotation. Course performance did not differ between annotation conditions, and sense of belonging was not associated with final grades. These findings document the viability of social annotation as an evidence-based tool for promoting a sense of belonging in online psychology courses.

The Effectiveness of Online Courses in Building Nemeth Code Within UEB Contexts Skills and Increasing Knowledge of Strategies to Support Prekindergarten Through Eighth-Grade Students in Their Mathematics Learning

Introduction Professional development can assist individuals in learning a variety of new skills and refining their teaching practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of asynchronous online courses designed to assist individuals in building their Nemeth Code within Unified English Braille (UEB) Contexts skills and strategies for teaching the code to prekindergarten through eighth-grade students. Methods Four teachers of students with visual impairments designed five asynchronous online courses. The courses provided multiple opportunities for participants to actively complete course content as well as learn about strategies and resources for teaching the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts to children and youths. Each course included an initial survey, pretest, seven self-paced lessons, and posttest. Participants were also invited to complete a follow-up survey. Results Between spring 2020 and spring 2023, 452 participants completed between 1 and 5 of the courses for a total of 620 courses completed. Almost all completers ( n = 598) scored higher on the posttest. Of the 227 individuals who completed the follow-up survey, 223 reported that what they learned in the course had positively impacted how they support or will support students who read braille in their math classes. Discussion Effective professional development goes beyond learning. When individuals actively consume content and reflect upon their learning, their professional practice is transformed. Implications for Practitioners Well-designed asynchronous instructional modules allow professionals to increase their knowledge and skills. Opportunities to practice skills and check one's work, access to instructional videos, and the availability of downloadable slides and resources are helpful to professionals.

Jak zaprojektować kurs zdalny stwarzający silne poczucie obecności nauczyciela

The article analyses how a group of Polish university students responded to the physical absence of a teacher while attending an asynchronous online course designed to create a sense of virtual presence. The following research questions were formulated: What are the blueprints for the design of an online course that ensures a sense of teacher presence? How did students evaluate the teacher’s presence on the online English Course for Spatial Planning (e-ECSP)? The study was carried out with the participation of 44 university students. The findings suggest that a properly constructed e-course incorporating teacher-led activities contributes to a sense of teacher presence.

Understanding the Effectiveness of Email Prompts to Online Asynchronous Course Participants

A persistent problem in asynchronous online courses is low user retention. Compared to conventional courses, participants require some form of reward or intrinsic motivation to complete these courses which do not have set deadlines or timetables. To remedy this, many online course platforms will send email reminders to participants registered in the course to prompt them to continue their participation. This study is focused on understanding the efficacy of such practices in motivating students to continue a course they would otherwise neglect or drop. This study focuses on selected courses on the online asynchronous learning platform open.uom.lk. The participants of an online asynchronous Project Management course who had enrolled but not completed the course were separated into two groups; students who enrolled but have not started the course and students who started the course but have stopped for over a month. The students of each group were divided into test and control groups, where the test group was sent prompts by email to continue the course which included a link to the course page Using user activity data from the platform the progress of students over the month prompts were sent, and the month after were analysed, and the efficacy of sending email prompts was calculated. 4.45% of the students from the test group began participating in the course again as compared to 2% of the students in the test group. 32 students (0.7%) completed the course in the weeks during and after the email prompts were sent while none of the students in the control group completed the course. This shows sending email prompts has a positive impact on increasing participation in the course.

Online Education Benefits Instructors’ Emotional Labor Management

The growth in online education preceded the pandemic, however, COVID-19 drastically altered the educational landscape by forcing the unprecedented shift of education from in-person to remote learning. This change heightened concerns over student outcomes due to a lack of emotional engagement that is critical to academic outcomes. To create a positive emotional connection in any learning environment, teachers must actively manage their emotions within professional guidelines. Studies on instructors’ emotional experiences are sparse, leading to a lack of understanding as to how instructors adapt their strategies and emotional labor in online versus in-person teaching modalities to build deep emotional connections with students. This study addresses this gap in the literature by asking instructors about their comparative experiences of emotional empathy and emotional labor in person and online. Nineteen qualitative interviews with higher education instructors experienced in both settings revealed three key findings: 1) creative use of empathy-building strategies online reduced instructors’ concerns over platform limitations, 2) the time lag in asynchronous online courses allowed instructors to more meaningfully address all student concerns and 3) contrary to expectations, emotional labor was experienced more intensely in face-to-face classes than online, suggesting that online settings gave instructors more space to manage emotional labor. This research centers on the debate between technological determinism and social constructionism: Are empathetic bonds and fulfilling professional experiences shaped by the teaching modality, or are they the result of adaptive pedagogies and strategies?

Does Lecture Style Matter in Asynchronous Online Interteaching?

Background Although substantial empirical evidence supports interteaching, few studies have investigated the clarifying lecture component, and none have evaluated it in an online course format. Objective This study evaluated the necessity of a clarifying lecture in an asynchronous online course and compared a clarifying lecture (based on student feedback) to brief standard lecture (covering material the instructor thought was difficult). Method Participants were undergraduates ( N = 116) across three sections of an online Psychology of Learning course. An alternating treatments design was used to vary the order of three brief lecture conditions across weeks in the courses: (a) clarifying lecture; (b) standard lecture; and (c) no lecture. Results There were no significant differences in exam scores across the three conditions. However, students scored significantly higher on weekly exams when the lecture conditions were collapsed and compared to no lecture. Most students reported a preference for the clarifying lecture. Conclusion Our findings suggest that both styles of asynchronous lectures positively impacted weekly (but not cumulative final) exam scores. Teaching Implications The efficacy of interteaching was not decreased by altering lecture style. This flexibility eases the course preparation burden on instructors given they could prepare lectures prior to gathering student feedback.

Assigned group work is associated with increased student motivation and perceptions of belonging in an asynchronous online physiology laboratory course.

With the rise of online instruction, a better understanding of the factors that contribute to belonging and motivation in these contexts is essential to creating optimal learning environments. Although group work is known to be beneficial to student success, few studies have investigated its role in the context of asynchronous online courses. The present study addresses this gap through a survey of 146 undergraduate students in an asynchronous online physiology lab over two semesters, one with required group work and one without group work. Students were surveyed to evaluate the influence of group work on their motivation and sense of belonging, as well as their perceptions of inclusive and exclusive features of the course. Students assigned to groups had a higher sense of belonging (P = 0.006) and beliefs about their competence (P = 0.002) and perceived lower effort and psychological costs associated with the course (P = 0.04 and 0.04, respectively) compared to students not assigned to groups. Students assigned to groups reported that peer interactions made them feel included in the course (70% of coded responses) while those not assigned to groups valued instructor interactions (51% of coded responses) as inclusive. Negative peer interactions were commonly reported as exclusive by students assigned to groups (28% of coded responses) while a lack of peer interactions (23% of coded responses) made students not assigned to groups feel excluded. These data indicate that assigning groups in asynchronous online courses is an effective way to increase student motivation and perceptions of belonging.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study explores the effect of assigned group work in an asynchronous online physiology laboratory course on student motivation and belonging. Students' perceptions of belonging and competence-related beliefs were higher, and effort and psychological costs were lower, when assigned to groups compared to students not assigned to groups. Students assigned to groups noted peer interactions as the most inclusive aspect of the course, whereas instructor interactions were noted as inclusive by those not assigned group work.

Pre-service Teachers' Dual Perspectives on Generative AI: Benefits, Challenges, and Integrating into Teaching and Learning

This study examined pre-service teachers' perspectives on integrating generative AI (GenAI) tools into their own learning and teaching practices. Discussion posts from asynchronous online courses on ChatGPT were analyzed using the Diffusion of Innovations framework to explore familiarity, willingness to apply ChatGPT to instruction, potential benefits, challenges, and concerns about using GenAI in teaching and learning. The course discussions significantly increased pre-service teachers' awareness and foundational knowledge while reducing anxiety towards AI technologies. However, despite exposure to ChatGPT, only a few confirmed intentions to adopt AI tools in their teaching practices, potentially reflecting lingering uncertainties evidenced by emotional responses, such as worry and concern. Professional development in AI literacy can address these uncertainties and enhance GenAI familiarity. The study offers insights into responsible GenAI adoption in education and how higher education can leverage ChatGPT to enhance pre-service teacher learning.

Understanding college students’ test anxiety in asynchronous online courses: the mediating role of emotional engagement

While test anxiety is a problem in asynchronous online courses, few studies have systematically investigated learning factors influencing test anxiety in asynchronous online courses. Additionally, emotional engagement has been identified as a mediator between learning factors and test anxiety. Therefore, this study clarified the mediating role of emotional engagement between learning factors (i.e., self-efficacy, instructor-learner interaction, learner-learner interaction, perceived ease-of-use, and perceived usefulness) and test anxiety in college-level asynchronous online courses. Overall, 316 college students participated in this study. Structural equation modeling analysis examined the relationships between learning factors and test anxiety. Self-efficacy, instructor-learner interaction, and perceived ease of use had direct and significant negative influences on test anxiety. Self-efficacy, instructor-learner interaction, learner-learner interaction and perceived usefulness had indirect negative effects on test anxiety mediated by emotional engagement. The current findings indicated that instructors should consider self-efficacy, instructor-learner interaction, learner-learner interaction, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness when designing and conducting asynchronous online courses to reduce college students’ test anxiety.

If I Enjoy, I Continue: The Mediating Effects of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Enjoyment in Continuance of Asynchronous Online English Learning

Although possessing flexibility and accessibility, asynchronous online courses suffer from high attrition and cause unsatisfactory learning performance, leading to a pressing need to understand factors influencing learners’ continuance of learning intention. Based on the expectation confirmation model, this study investigated perceived enjoyment as an extended variable to unpack the mediating effects of perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment on the relationship between confirmation and continuance intention. Quantitative data from 254 learners enrolled in asynchronous online English courses were obtained for data analysis. Results indicate that confirmation significantly and positively affects learners’ continuance intention to take the asynchronous online English courses. Perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment significantly mediate the relationship between confirmation and continuance intention. The total indirect effect of confirmation on continuance intention through perceived enjoyment and perceived usefulness and the combination of perceived enjoyment and perceived usefulness was 55.52%. Additionally, interviews with five learners revealed that despite limited real-time interaction, they highly value asynchronous online courses given that they promote self-regulated learning, offer choice freedom, foster a sense of achievement, and reduce anxiety and embarrassment risks that trigger their learning enjoyment. This study provided deep insights into factors influencing EFL learners’ decisions in asynchronous learning. Instructors are suggested to improve the quality of courses, provide timely feedback, and design tasks to improve learners’ perceptions of enjoyment and usefulness to further improve learners’ confirmation of online courses and their continuance intention to engage in online synchronous learning.

A Systematic Literature Review of Trends in Research and Practice Among Asynchronous Online Course Offerings in Formal Engineering Curricula

A Systematic Literature Review of Trends in Research and Practice Among Asynchronous Online Course Offerings in Formal Engineering Curricula

M is for Motivation or How To Support Student Autonomy in Asynchronous Online Courses

Drawing on his recent book, Autonomy-Supportive Teaching in Higher Education: A Practical Guide for College Professors (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), Whitehead describes how to apply the evidence-based principles of autonomy-support into asynchronous online courses. These include, among others, being patient with students as they adapt to the learning system, designing surveys where students choose course topics, and creating opportunities for students to interact with one another.

The UTHealth Houston Adult Cardiovascular Genomics Certificate Program: Efficacy and Impact on Healthcare Professionals.

The demand for genetic services has outpaced the availability of resources, challenging clinicians untrained in genetic integration into clinical decision-making. The UTHealth Adult Cardiovascular Genomics Certificate (CGC) program trains non-genetic healthcare professionals to recognize, assess, and refer patients with heritable cardiovascular diseases. This asynchronous online course includes 24 modules in three tiers of increasing complexity, using realistic clinical scenarios, interactive dialogues, quizzes, and tests to reinforce learning. We hypothesized that the CGC will increase genomic competencies in this underserved audience and encourage applying genomic concepts in clinical practice. Required course evaluations include pre- and post-assessments, knowledge checks in each module, and surveys for module-specific feedback. After 6 months, longitudinal feedback surveys gathered data on the long-term impact of the course on clinical practice and conducted focused interviews with learners. The CGC was accredited in September 2022. Principal learners were nurses (24%), nurse practitioners (21%), physicians (16%), and physician assistants. Scores of 283 learners in paired pre- and post-assessments increased specific skills related to recognizing heritable diseases, understanding inheritance patterns, and interpreting genetic tests. Interviews highlighted the CGC's modular structure and linked resources as key strengths. Learners endorsed confidence to use genetic information in clinical practice, such as discussing genetic concepts and risks with patients and referring patients for genetic testing. Learners were highly likely to recommend the CGC to colleagues, citing its role in enhancing heritable disease awareness. The CGC program effectively empowers non-genetic clinicians to master genomic competencies, fostering collaboration to prevent deaths from heritable cardiovascular diseases, and potentially transforming healthcare education and clinical practice.

The virtual classroom divide: how does the self-efficacy gap reshape online learning?

ABSTRACT This study explores the role of self-efficacy in online learning modalities. In particular, the research examines how synchronous and asynchronous online courses affect student learning experiences, depending on the level of self-efficacy. Data were collected from 172 undergraduate students in the United States who have taken both synchronous and asynchronous courses. Findings of two-way repeated measures of MANOVA reveal noteworthy interaction effects between course modalities and self-efficacy. Students with high self-efficacy report more favorable online learning experiences, free from challenges stemming from course modalities. Conversely, students with low self-efficacy report less favorable online learning experiences and grapple with challenges arising from course modalities, reporting that asynchronous course experiences are significantly inferior compared with synchronous courses. The study’s findings provide meaningful implications for research and practice for online teaching and learning in virtual classrooms.

Exploring differences between students’ interactions, online presence, and cognitive presence

The purpose of this research was to examine differences between students at high and low levels of interactions, their perceived online presence (teaching, cognitive, and social), and the level of actual cognitive presence in asynchronous case-based discussions. The results revealed that among three online presences, teaching presence was the highly rated presence among both high and low-interaction students followed by cognitive and social presences. Students were different in the cognitive presence of their perceived abilities to apply knowledge to work or non-class activities. Students’ actual cognitive presence was at exploration and integration levels showing the effectiveness of case-based discussions. This study provided an understanding that low-interaction students still need more support to facilitate cognitive presence. All students reported the need to build a sense of belonging in an online community. This study's findings will guide researchers and practitioners in further design and facilitation of case-based discussions in asynchronous online courses.

Impact of an online course on enhancing the diagnosis of Chagas disease in Latin America.

Chagas disease poses a public health problem in Latin America, and the electrocardiogram is a crucial tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of this pathology. In this context, the aim of this study was to quantify the change in the ability to detect electrocardiographic patterns among healthcare professionals after completing a virtual course. An asynchronous virtual course with seven pre-recorded classes was conducted. Participants answered the same questionnaire at the beginning and end of the training. Based on these responses, pre and post-test results for each participant were compared. The study included 1656 participants from 21 countries; 87.9% were physicians, 5.2% nurses, 4.1% technicians, and 2.8% medical students. Initially, 3.1% answered at least 50% of the pre-test questions correctly, a proportion that increased to 50.4% after the course (p=0.001). Regardless of their baseline characteristics, 82.1% of course attendees improved their answers after completing the course. The implementation of an asynchronous online course on electrocardiography in Chagas disease enhanced the skills of both medical and non-medical personnel to recognize this condition.

Online capacity building for the health workforce: the case of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response for the African region.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) has developed a comprehensive capacity devel-opment programme to support the successful implementation of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response 3rd edition Technical Guidelines (IDSR). As part of the learning program, a series of asyn-chronous online courses are offered on OpenWHO in English, French and Portuguese. This paper describes the use of five IDSR online courses and reports on feedback received from learners on Course 1 in the English series. An online learner survey was developed, and a descriptive analysis was conducted. This paper also reports on use related empirical metadata from the OpenWHO platform. Overall, learners (97%-n/N) of Course 1 IDSR English series indicated a positive perception toward their online learning experience because of the quality of course content, its organization, ease of use and relevance to their workplace needs. In addition, 88% (n/N) of learners reported that they had used their acquired knowledge at least sometimes and 54.4% (n/N) had shared their learning with others. Lastly, the quiz analyses showed an average of right answers of 78.97% for quiz 1 and 69.94% for quiz 2. Online learning is an essential component of a blended capacity development programme and provides cost effective, equitable and impactful learning. Learners who have a learning goal and find their needs met in courses tend to show more satisfaction and motivation to share their learning.

Fostering Intercultural Competence: A Case of an Asynchronous Online Japanese Language and Culture Course

Analyzing cultural characteristics is a cognitively challenging task that allows learners to increase their open-mindedness and deepen their understanding of both local and global communities by utilizing online resources, especially when in-person interaction in classroom settings was impeded, resulting in an asynchronous online course. The purpose of this paper is to examine how intercultural competence, which can foster learners’ attitudes, could be encouraged in an asynchronous online environment for a Japanese foreign language course from empirical perspectives. The population was learners who possessed Intermediate and Advanced-level proficiency of Japanese. Learners’ outcomes were compared between an online asynchronous course using Deardorff’s (2006) Process Model of Intercultural Competence in the curriculum and a face-to-face class without using Deardorff’s model. The result of using Deardorff’s process model of Intercultural Competence in the curriculum, constructed based on “Understanding by Design,” which is comprised of 3 stages: (1) identifying desired results, (2) determining acceptable evidence, and (3) planning learning experiences and instruction (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), suggested that learners could deepen their insights toward a target culture and society through multiple opportunities for learners to investigate the relationships among perspectives, practices and products. Keywords: asynchronous online course, backward design approach, intercultural competence, process model, world-readiness standards for learning languages

Student Engagement in a Gamified Online Learning Environment: A Data Mining Approach

In education, gamification applies game design elements to non-game contexts to engage learners. This preliminary study explored the feasibility of using data mining to analyze student engagement patterns in an asynchronous online course that utilized gamification. We conducted a series of exploratory data analysis approaches, including keyword extraction, clustering, concordance analysis, and sequential pattern mining. Results showed peaks in engagement aligned with gamified challenges and rewards. Students discussed both academic and non-academic topics, indicating community-building. Sequence pattern mining revealed more consistent academic engagement for highly engaged students. Findings demonstrate the viability of using data mining techniques to assess cognitive engagement based on discussion patterns in a gamified online course.

University Lecturers’ Experiences from the Classroom to a MOOC. Are they ready?

This article explores the experience of contributors to a MOOC designed mainly for students embarking on second-cycle Master’s degree courses. Following the COVID pandemic, university lecturers were forced to adapt their traditional courses and lecture style in order to continue teaching. This involved a sudden shift to video conferencing platforms and the transformation of the format of learning objects. Teaching staff rapidly had to become familiar with new technologies and teaching strategies. Although all educators in Higher Education had to develop these new skills, getting involved in creating asynchronous online courses was yet another step into unfamiliar territory. A departmental research group designed a MOOC which will award university credits to users completing it. An initial survey to assess willingness to be involved and create content revealed considerable interest among teaching staff. Throughout the design and production process, the drop-out rate remained low. Teaching staff remained keen to contribute to the MOOC. Our hypothesis was that the recent disruption caused by the pandemic meant that teaching staff would be more open to new methods of teaching, and this would affect their approach to the design process in the future. Through the use of surveys and interviews to evaluate contributors’ attitudes, experience and knowledge, we focus on the connections between traditional F2F teaching, online teaching and asynchronous teaching via MOOC, as well as highlighting lessons for both contributors and organisers.