Student/faculty perspectives concerning online education and its future at West Virginia State University.

Abstract

Online instruction in colleges/universities is a growing part of the educational process. An ever increasing percentage of programs at West Virginia State University (WVSU), and higher education institutions in general, involve an online component. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate WVSU student/faculty perceptions regarding this issue. A survey consisting of 17 (seven-point Likert scale) items, two open-ended questions requesting student’s likes/dislikes concerning online education, and five demographic questions was administered to 92 current WVSU students. Selected classes across disciplines were targeted for administration. A modified but similarly themed version of the instrument was given to 14 WVSU faculty, four who have taught online classes previously, and 10 who have not. For both administrations, structured questions were analyzed by averaging scores per their Likert scale values. Open-ended questions were categorized by common theme. Both question types affirm that students prefer the convenience of online delivery, but regret the lack of reliable communication/interaction with professors/peers; they likewise judge the workload associated with online classes to be excessive. Faculty generally echoed student perceptions. While profiles of instructors who have and haven’t taught online were overall comparable evaluating online education’s utility, there was disagreement between the two groups regarding issues such as effectiveness, student effort, workload involved, and potential for cheating in this format. The results confirm the concerns of student/faculty regarding online delivery, and the necessity of integrating these perspectives into future models of effective college and university instruction.