Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios
Date of Award
4-2009
Document Type
Dissertation
Granting Institution
Lynn University
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Program
Global Leadership - with a specialization in Corporate and Organizational Management
Department
College of Business and Management
First Advisor
Dr. Mary L. Tebes
Second Advisor
Dr. Cheryl J. Serrano
Third Advisor
Dr. Melvin Schwager
Abstract
On-line higher education courses continue to receive growing interest among students, and colleges and universities throughout the country strive to ensure that quality education is provided in an on-line environment. Characteristics of the student and of the course, the student's ability to interact cross-culturally, and the impact of class community on course performance are all critical components that need further investigation. Continuing the development and implementation of on-line higher education courses can provide students with more successful on-line higher educational experiences.
Structural and process variables attribute to the makeup of on-line courses and components involved in their delivery. A discussion on several models of theoretical framework, such as Bransford's Model of Perspectives on Learning Environments; Oberg's An Outsider Within Orientation Model; Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, and Archer's Community of Inquiry Model; and Lipman's Community of Inquiry Approach Model, are included to explain the effects of structural and implementation characteristics of the on-line class on course performance.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among student characteristics, on-line course characteristics, cross-cultural adaptability, classroom community, and course performance. Examining how these characteristics play a role in the performance of on-line students aids higher education institutions with a better understanding about variables that influence student success within on-line higher education.
In this study, a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational (explanatory), and causal-comparative (exploratory) design was proposed to answer two research questions and six hypotheses. 3,210 on-line students enrolled at SUNY Empire State College Center for Distance Learning (CDL) were invited to participate in the research. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, independent t-tests, and multiple regression.
Recommended Citation
McDowell, C. (2009). Student Characteristics, On-line Course Characteristics, Cross-Cultural Adaptability, Classroom Community, and On-line Course Performance [Doctoral dissertation, Lynn University]. SPIRAL. https://spiral.lynn.edu/etds/128
Comments
This dissertation was digitized from the printed and bound volume in the summer of 2017. To protect privacy and copyright, this PDF may contain redacted pages, personal information, and/or signatures. For a complete, unedited version of the volume, please contact the University Archives.