Date of Award

Spring 5-2013

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Chair

David Lee

Committee Chair Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 2

Daniel Eadens

Committee Member 2 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 3

Rose McNeese

Committee Member 3 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 4

James Johnson

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine a number of factors related to traditional student online course readiness at a large community college prior to state initiated K-12 curriculum design initiatives, NCLB possible exemptions, passage of Senate Bill 2792, and possible future virtual charter school laws. This study analyzed the traditional college freshmen students' perceptions in several areas related to online learning. This study included surveys completed by 143 traditional online students at a community college. The study examined the students' perceptions of self-management of online learning, comfort of online learning, reported differences between males and females in the students' perceptions of self-management of online learning, reported differences between males and females in the students' perceptions of comfort of online learning, and self-reported experience with online learning in the K-12 environment in advance of the implementation of aforementioned initiatives in the state proposed for the study.

Results from the study demonstrated that gender differences were reported in both comfort of online learning and self-management of online learning. Interestingly, females reported higher levels of both comfort of online learning and self-management of online learning as compared to males. There were no reported statistically significant differences between study participants who had prior K-12 online experience as compared to those who did not. Similar results were reported in the area of the type of prior K-12 online experience with no statically significant differences between study participants who had prior K-12 online experience as compared to those who did not. Finally, results from an examination of student characteristics supported earlier reported research of the two constructs of comfort of online learning and self-management of online learning. The majority of online students in this study selected most of the time or all of the time to the McVay survey items.

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