The Effectiveness of Teaching-Learning Process in Online Education as Perceived by University Faculty and Instructional Technology Professionals
The major objective of the study reported here is to identify and rank in terms of relative importance selected principles and their means for achieving an effective online education. Research steps employed include (1) conducting a review of relevant literature reporting success as well as challenges online course delivery has been experiencing in the higher education; (2) developing a list of the major principles for online learning (efficacy, student empowerment, and academic integrity) as well as means relevant to achievement of each of those principles based on a review of literature; (3) selecting a sample of faculty members and supporting professional staff involved in online teaching at six university campuses selected through a chain referral technique; (4) interviewing respondents in our sample by using Delphi procedures in two rounds for ranking principles and means; and (5) analyzing data and subjecting them for their reliability and validity implications. The study finds strong academic support in matters of efficacy and student empowerment for online teaching, and identifies some concerns or challenges respondents perceive for achieving and maintaining an adequate integrity of online courses.
