ONLINE LEARNING

1
ONLINE LEARNING

• AS PERCEIVED BY NONTRADITIONAL ADULT LEARNERS

2
CHARLENE C. GOODWIN

• ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
• PROGRAM DIRECTOR, HLSA
• MSEd
• University of Kentucky
• MS-Health Care Policy Administration
• Mercer University, Stetson School of Business
• DOCTORAL CANDIDATE, UGA
• 28 Years Teaching

3
OBJECTIVES

• Understand how nontraditional learners relate to
  online
• List factors leading to success
• List factors impeding success
• Discuss suggestions for first-time online users
  and online instructors

4
ONLINE LEARNING

• WHY?
• EXPERIENCE WITH COURSE
• NOT SUCCESSFUL
• WONDERED WHY

5
DISSERTATION

• PICK A TOPIC THAT INTERESTS YOU
• SOMETHING YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
• A QUESTION YOUVE ALWAYS WANTED AN ANSWER TO

6
DISSERTATION

• QUALITATIVE STUDY
• INTERVIEWD 12 PARTICPANTS
• 90 MINUTES PER
• TAPED
• TRANSCRIBED
• SEARCHED FOR THEMES

7
PARTICIPANTS

• 7 FEMALES 5 MALES
• 9 WHITE 3 AFRICAN-AMERICAN
• AGE RANGES
• 60-70 1
• 50-60 1
• 40-50 3
• 30-40 4
• 25-30 3

8
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• How do nontraditional adult students react to
  online learning?
• What factors influenced their successful online
  learning experiences?
• What factors contributed to their
  non- successful online experiences?

9
THEMES

• LEARNING STYLES
• RANGE OF EMOTION
• COMPUTER LITERACY
• PURPOSE DRIVEN
• FLEXIBILITY

• SENSE OF ISOLATION
• TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
• LACK OF MOTIVATION

10
LEARNING STYLES

• Nontraditional adult students adjust learning
  styles to suit the new environment.
• Angelina, a fifties-something Masters student who
  likes to think before she engages with the
  subject matter and other students. Therefore, she
  would get online in the morning to read other
  student comments and would synthesize the data
  and respond later in the day.

11
RANGE OF EMOTION

• I know how nervous I was when dealing with
  online learning. For those that have even less
  knowledge about computers, it would be very
  frustrating.
• LaVerne, a sixties something healthcare
  professional

12
COMPUTER LITERACY

• Dirk says Im comfortable with learning, I
  comfortable with the technology. I am a computer
  literate person. My Bachelors degree is in
  computers.
• A forties something Resource Center employee

13
PURPOSE DRIVEN

• Everything that I do, I try to integrate somehow
  with the computer.
• Glen, nursing home administrator, early thirties,
  children
• Goal manage three nursing homes

14
FLEXIBILITY

• One of the things that does appeal to me about
  online learning is the flexibility in my
  schedule.
• John liked the way he could do online anytime,
  anywhere.

15
SENSE OF ISOLATION

• I missed the comradery with the other students
  just being able to question them, talk out
  problems, talk to the instructor.
• Madelyn, college educator, PhD

16
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

• John, middle-aged healthcare executive
• The only problems I would ever want you to have
  would relate to the content and your
  understanding of it. I think the technology
  should facilitate your schedule. The technology
  should not be a barrier to your learning.

17
LACK OF MOTIVATION

• Some students may not be as dedicated as others
  and just dont care and not even do the
  assignments or anything like that.
• Monica, healthcare management student

18
SUGGESTIONS

• PARTICPANTS
• Understand technology
• Disciplined
• Know kind of learner you are
• Allocate time
• Research program
• Take all the online course you can

• INSTRUCTORS
• Different learning styles
• Do orientation
• Keep developing
• To the point
• Back up everything
• Know students will cheat

19
CONCLUSION

• Online learning-vital component of education
• Worldwide
• Need to know what works/doesnt work

20
QUESTIONS?

• Thank you for your interest!