Perception on Synchronous Online Learning

A study on Virtual Classroom Participants' Views For Effective Synchronous Education Process
by Selçuk KARAMAN, Melike AYDEMIR, Sevda KUÇUK, and Gürkan YILDIRIM was published in
the year 2013. A case study was conducted among 20 participants (8 instructors, 10 students, 2
technical staff) who are being investigated at Theology Bachelor's Completion Distance
Education Program, a University in the east part of Turkey. The study aims to determine the
effectiveness of Virtual Classroom (VC) sessions with their key components in terms of
environment and method.

It is done through a program where students can access the courses and activities in any of the
following: virtual classroom practices; forum discussion; online quizzes and self-learning
packages; lecture notes and video courses. 12 courses were carried out during a 14-week VC
session that ranged approximately an hour in the evenings every weekday. A semi-structured
interview was conducted from a random selection of participants. The interview was done for
20-25 minutes and the data collected were analyzed according to the consideration of the
research questions, by code and its categorical association.

As a result, the VC sessions stress the feature of interaction despite the technical problems
encountered which disturb the participants in producing efficiency in the class. Another thing,
the VC sessions don't provide an effective plan, especially the scheduling, a critical phase to
prevent problems and to have organized participation. The major concern of the VC sessions is
the utilization of the course material that is seen to require a satisfactory rate in which there is
miscommunication between the teacher and the students. And lastly, it shows that the VC
sessions need to adhere to the teaching method as an important aspect of students' active
engagement in doing the VC sessions activities.

Perception on Asynchronous Online Learning

A research study on Preferred Teaching Methods in Online Courses: Learners' Views conducted
by Mansureh Kebritchi was published in September 2014. The study interviewed 30
purposefully selected online graduate students in four online courses in the college of
education of a prestigious North American campus-based university through a descriptive
survey. The main goal of the study was divided twofold: first, to identify the recommended
online teaching methods in asynchronous discussion boards, and second, to explore learners'
perceptions about the identified teaching methods and correlate the learners' perception d
with learners' characteristics, including computer skills, experiences, and activity ratios in online
discussions.

The study uses a descriptive survey design to get an answer to the first research question which
is appropriate to gather perceptions, opinions, and beliefs regarding the preferred online
teaching methods. A correlational design is being utilized to have an answer for the second and
third research questions to measure variables and examine relationships. Two sets of
questionnaires: questionnaire A for the beginning collection and questionnaire B at the end to
re-examined were administered through Survey Monkey (an interactive survey website). And to
ensure the validity of the questionnaires, two experts verified through pilot testing with the
same demographics of the group of participants. To analyze the qualitative data collected, the
study ensures two designs to summarize, categorize, and present in the results section.

The research findings revealed amid the trend of online learning that there was a moderate
correlation between the degree of instructors' activity and involvement in online discussion. It
is revealed that the majority of participants preferred the narrative method with a high level of
involvement compared to the teaching method with a low level of involvement in online
courses. The results show that 61% preferred higher order of thinking rather than gaining a set
body of knowledge. 76% of participants preferred open-ended postings compared to close-
ended postings. 73% of participants preferred that their instructors adopt an informal manner
in their online discussion interactions, while 71% preferred consistent rather than occasional
interactions. And 86% of participants preferred formative assessment compared to summative
assessment.

The study also revealed that there is a negative moderate correlation between their computer
skills with their preferred teaching methods. It is also indicated that having higher computer
skills gain more confidence and independence in online courses, but it is a sign of less
involvement from their instructors. And lastly, the study confirmed that there is no significant
change in their preferences for the teaching method because they have online learning
experiences.