Online Graduate Students Research Articles

The Impact of Exemplars On The Academic Outcomes For Master’s In Education Online Graduate Students

Annotated exemplars have recently been scrutinized as an academic support strategy in the context of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). The idea is that using exemplars may front-load the system regarding student academic performance through the provision of meaningful feedback and task-specific comments before formal student submissions. More specifically, The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research regarding exemplar use has called for the investigation of these exemplars on academic performance for the online graduate student. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to determine if and to what extent the integration of annotated exemplars impacted the academic outcomes for Masters in Education online graduate students. Academic outcomes were designated as assessment grades and overall course grades. The study methodology and design were quantitative quasi-experimental using traditional pre-/post- techniques regarding this exemplar implementation with a convenience sample. The sample size of the experimental group is n = 17. The control group ranges from n = 25 to n = 27. The objective stated explicitly is to investigate if and to what extent the use of annotated exemplars impacts overarching student outcomes for graduate students at a university in the southwestern United States. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the control group and the experimental group for assignment grades, resulting in a retention of the null hypothesis. The results also indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the control group and the experimental group for overall course grades, resulting in a rejection of the null hypothesis. Potential areas of future research might include brick-and-mortar settings, larger sample sizes, other student populations, or a qualitative examination of student perceptions about exemplars.

Soft Skills and Employability of Online Graduate Students

Soft Skills and Employability of Online Graduate Students

Re-examining our feedback model: strategies for enhancing student learning and cultivating feedback literacy through formative assessments

Distance education has increased steadily since the onset of Covid-19. As online offerings become a staple in programs of study, rather than the exception, it is important to consider how instructors design their courses to incorporate feedback as well as how they promote active student involvement in feedback processes. In this paper, the authors revisit a feedback model proposed for the online environment, which includes intentional strategies to alleviate potential pitfalls in the feedback cycle, first by conducting a citation analysis of how the model was interpreted and applied by others in their practice and scholarship, and then by describing how they adjusted the model for further inquiry with fully online graduate students. Finally, the authors detail how their model aligns to the four features of the feedback literacy framework. Findings discuss the importance of formative assessments within online coursework to provide space for the application of feedback as well as strategies for creating individualized dialogue with students around their feedback and learning. The findings warrant additional research regarding how the model may provide a structured approach to developing students’ feedback literacy.

A Letter to My Former Self: The Online PhD as a Transformative Journey

Online doctoral programmes have become increasingly popular, allowing adult professionals to pursue their academic goals while carrying on with their lives. This research inquired into a seldom-explored aspect of the online PhD experience: its transformative nature. Through in-depth interviews, we investigated the impact of online doctorates on candidates’ lives and perspectives, as well as the retrospective advice they would give to their past selves at the beginning of the programme. Findings indicate that a sense of empowerment and agency is frequently rekindled in online graduate students as they rediscover their own unique voices and perspectives. The PhD also opens them up to new networks and worldviews, promoting personal and professional growth. Students’ advice emphasises the importance of having a support network to turn to in times of need, cultivating grit and time-management skills, and learning to cope with constant rejection. This paper offers insights into the lived experience of online graduate students that might interest both prospective students and programme administrators.

Shaping Theory and Practice: The Impact of Ignatius of Loyola’s Approach to Transformation on Transformational Leadership and Online Graduate Students at a Jesuit University in the United States

Shaping Theory and Practice: The Impact of Ignatius of Loyola’s Approach to Transformation on Transformational Leadership and Online Graduate Students at a Jesuit University in the United States

Investing in Connection: Exploring the Online Graduate Student Experience

Within the context of online learning, there are challenges presented by the virtual medium that may lead to diminished experiences in learning. Without a physical connection or the ability to feel the support from your teacher, online students can be left isolated, and the pedagogy can easily slip into an execution of tasks as opposed to a pedagogy of care. My inquiry into the online graduate student experience began with a survey to understand how online graduate students describe their experiences as an online learner and their relationships with their instructors. A thematic analysis of their responses revealed themes regarding the relationship between the instructor and student and the role of communication in the quality of that relationship. To further explore these themes, an action research cycle was then completed within my own teaching to initiate some of the pedagogical ideas shared by graduate students. Results from initial survey and the resulting action research cycle are shared and discussed.

Connecting Online Graduate Students to the University Community

The purpose of this study was to understand how to facilitate a sense of belonging among online graduate students. Sense of community theory was the basis for examining students’ desires to be a part of a community and feel connected to the institution. Findings from a survey using the Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2) of online graduate students provided insight into the sense of community, the importance of belonging to a community, and activities that could strengthen their connection with the institution. Overall students showed a slightly stronger sense of belonging to their program than to the institution. Students were also asked how they prefer to connect to others in the community with mentoring and in￾person social events being the most requested.

Relationship Between Metacognition and Online Community of Inquiry in an Online Case-Based Course

This study explored students’ perceived metacognition (self-regulation and co-regulation) in relation to the online presence within the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework in an online case-based instruction (CBI) course. Forty-seven online graduate students enrolled in an instructional design course participated in the study. Data were collected through CoI survey instrument and shared metacognition questionnaire online survey.The findings revealed that students perceived cognitive presence is higher and less variable among three online presences and metacognition in online CBI. The correlation between two interdependent dimensions of metacognition (self-regulation and co-regulation) was significantly high. Also, co-regulation showed stronger relationships with the three online presences (social, teaching, and cognitive) than self-regulation. Additionally, social presence demonstrated the strongest association with both self-regulation and co-regulation, followed by cognitive presence. These results suggest that students with higher perceived social presence tend to have high metacognition. However, students with higher perceived teaching presence are relatively less likely (or unlikely) to have higher metacognition as teaching presence was found to be the most variable among students, which means that teaching presence was perceived differently.

The Student Voice: Recommendations for Supporting the Success of Graduate Students with Disabilities in Online Courses

ABSTRACT This article offers recommendations for online graduate students, instructors, and universities to better meet the needs of students with disabilities who increasingly participate in online courses. Using semi-structured interviews, researchers asked what recommendations participants from respective disability categories have for supporting them in their pursuit of a graduate education in an online environment. Thirteen graduate participants represented five disability classifications including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychological disorders, chronic health impairments, or visual impairments. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify disability-specific recommendations through constant comparison of individual data sets. Recommendations for students, instructors, and universities focused on instructor-student communication and relationships, online course design, and a changing and active role of institutional support services. The collaborative efforts of all are emphasized.

Mentoring New Online Graduate Teaching Assistants: From Concept to Practice

ABSTRACT Much has been written concerning large, public universities and their utilization of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). However, most small, private colleges and universities do not use teaching assistants for online instruction. Therefore, providing online graduate students opportunities to build and hone their teaching practice is vitally important to the academy’s future. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explain two frameworks that were developed to fill a gap in the literature pertaining to mentoring online doctoral graduate teaching assistants. The researchers summarize these frameworks, which focus on providing a teaching progression when mentoring doctoral teaching assistants in online courses. The framework employs a step-by-step, weekly progression over six weeks that develops graduate teaching assistants’ ability to teach online courses through weekly mentoring meetings and self-reflection to develop as future faculty.

Get Connected: A Scoping Review of Advising Online Graduate Students

The rate of online graduate education programs grows annually. Yet, dropout rates and student satisfaction rates continue to lag behind in-person programs. Advising practices may offer unique opportunities to reverse or alter these challenges. While the body of literature about undergraduate advising and online advising is robust, literature on current online graduate-level advising is sparse. Therefore, a scoping review of the literature was undertaken to answer the research question: What does the literature tell us about advising in online graduate programs? The search revealed ten relevant studies, and after conducting a thematic network analysis, two global themes and five organizing themes were presented. There are two global themes, “Create Connections” and “Know Your Program.” The “Create Connections” global theme is supported by three organizing themes: (a) Communication and Feedback, (b) Building Relationships and Community, and (c) Investment in student’s personal and academic growth. The “Know Your Program” global theme is supported by organizing themes (d) Program Requirements and Policies and (e) Technical skills. Based on the data, three recommendations are presented to aid online graduate advisors, including building trusting relationships with advisees, building a community of students, and knowing program policies, requirements, and technology platforms.

The Impact of Engagement and Role Conflict on Academic Success for Online Graduate Students

Higher education has changed radically as the prevalence of online education has increased. Moreover, students have changed. More adults with full time jobs are returning for a graduate education and many of them choose the online modality due to their responsibilities, priorities, and sources of support. Therefore, we need to analyze the factors that make online graduate students successful in their educational journey. This study examines the role of engagement and work-school-family role conflict in the success of online graduate students using SEM. Results show students’ internal motivation has a positive impact on student success measured by self-reported learning (ß=.33, p<.01, R2=.12) and grade (ß=.21, p<.01, R2=.05). Engagement partially mediates this relationship greatly increasing the explanatory power of the model (learning R2=.34, grade R2 =.09). Work-school-family conflict negatively moderates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and engagement (ß=.14, p<.01). These findings increase our understanding of how to help students be successful. Educators can help students by increasing engagement and helping reduce role conflict. Recommendations on how to maximize the positive impact of intrinsic motivation and engagement and reduce the negative impact of role conflict, as well as suggestions for future research in the area, are provided.

Engagement as antecedent of academic achievement and the moderating impact of work-family-school inter-role conflict for online graduate students

Higher education has changed as the prevalence of online education has increased. More adults with full time jobs are returning for a graduate education and many of them choose the online modality due to their responsibilities, priorities, and sources of support. Therefore, we need to analyze factors that make online graduate students successful in their educational journey. Using a time-lagged sample of 244 online graduate students this study employed SEM to examine the role of intrinsic motivation, engagement, and work-school-family inter-role conflict in the success of online graduate students. Results show students' intrinsic motivation has a positive impact on student success measured by self-reported learning (β = 0.33, ρ < 0.01, R2 = 0.12) and grade (β = 0.21, ρ < 0.01, R2 = 0.05). Engagement partially mediates the relationship, greatly increasing the explanatory power of the model (learning R2 = 0.34, grade R2 = 0.09). Work-school-family inter-role conflict moderates this relationship, significantly weakening the positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and engagement (β = −.14, ρ < 0.01). These findings increase our understanding of elements impacting students’ success. Recommendations on how to maximize the positive impact of intrinsic motivation on engagement and reduce the negative impact of inter-role conflict, as well as suggestions for future research in the area, are provided.

Examining the Effects of Self-Regulated Learning Skills on Digital Lifelong Learning Among Online Graduate Students

Examining the Effects of Self-Regulated Learning Skills on Digital Lifelong Learning Among Online Graduate Students

Impact of Guided Notes on Graduate Student Retention of Facts

Guided notes are an instructional strategy used to help students retain facts, concepts, and skills. Evidence for the effectiveness of guided notes with school-aged children diagnosed with high incidence disabilities is well documented, but research with postsecondary participants has had mixed results, and there has been little to no research on the effects of guided notes in online learning environments. The present study sought to examine the effects of guided notes on the retention of facts in high achieving online graduate students. Results indicate statistical significance (p < .01) in performance with a medium effect size, and students preferred guided notes to assist with note taking during lectures.

Virtual Faculty Strategies for Supporting Motivation of Online Doctoral Students

Our study focused on online faculty members and their perceptions of the strategies and activities they use to promote progress for and motivation in their online graduate students, particularly at the dissertation/doctoral study phase of the program. Results show high-achieving faculty members vary their strategies according to each students’ needs. High-achieving faculty members reach out to students often, offer encouragement throughout the process, and establish realistic goals.

Virtual Faculty Strategies for Supporting Motivation of Online Doctoral Students

Our study focused on online faculty members and their perceptions of the strategies and activities they use to promote progress for and motivation in their online graduate students, particularly at the dissertation/doctoral study phase of the program. Results show high-achieving faculty members vary their strategies according to each students’ needs. High-achieving faculty members reach out to students often, offer encouragement throughout the process, and establish realistic goals.

Equal peer e-mentoring for online graduate students: a case study and mediation model

ABSTRACT Equal peer e-mentoring in digital learning is emerging to promote online students' psychosocial wellness and academic success. The study purposes were (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of one equal peer e-mentoring program and (2) to validate a theoretical model of the interplay between inputs, processes, and outputs of mentoring relationships. Fifty-three graduate occupational therapy students rated their motivation and performance, the support they provided and received, the relationship quality, satisfaction with the e-mentoring program, and career growth. Structural equation modeling was used to test for mediating relationships among these factors. A causal model anchored on the mediating variables of psychosocial support, instrumental support, and relationship quality accounted for 69% of the variance in the mentoring program satisfaction and 34% of career growth variance. In conclusion, equal peer e-mentoring can facilitate student academic and career success. Furthermore, findings validate a theoretical model as an explanatory tool for effective equal peer e-mentoring.

Students’ Perceptions of Institutional Services and Online Learning Self-Efficacy

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore new online students’ perceptions of self-efficacy and satisfaction with institutional resources. A mixed methods approach was used to better understand online students’ perceptions. During the first phase of the study, 155 new online graduate students were surveyed about the importance and their satisfaction with university resources as well as their online self-efficacy. During the second phase of the study, follow-up interviews were conducted with six participants to better understand their perceptions. Participants reported being aware of the institutional resources and having positive experiences with online course tools. Furthermore, most participants found administrative services such as Registration and Financial Aid and Scholarship services the most important. Participants also reported high levels of online self-efficacy. While the results illustrate student perceptions of institutional resources, more studies are needed to explore how participants with limited prior experience in online courses would evaluate the effectiveness of institutional resources.

Exploring the Impact of an Open Access Mindfulness Course with Online Graduate Students: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Sequential Study

As enrollment in online graduate education increases, retention continues to be problematic for many colleges and universities across the United States. Non-traditional students, who represent the majority of online graduate student enrollment, have unique issues related to persistence considering they often must juggle the demands of graduate school with work and families. The competing demands can lead to increased levels of perceived stress, which can impact academic performance due to increased mind wandering and decreased attention. Mindfulness is a practice that has been shown in the literature to decrease levels of perceived stress and mind wandering, therefore, the integration of mindfulness practice could have a positive effect on student persistence in online graduate education. Therefore, an online open access mindfulness course was created at one large urban university. The purpose of this explanatory sequential study was to explore the impact of teaching mindfulness to online graduate students. Self-report levels of perceived stress and mind wandering were significantly lower after students completed Module One of an open access mindfulness course. Self-reported perceived persistence levels were found to be significantly higher after Module One with students in the first or second quarter of their program, students with little or no mindfulness experience, and students who meditated four or more times a week. Furthermore, students interviewed felt that the course provided excellent foundational information about mindfulness that could be immediately applied, and therefore should be a requirement for all incoming students.