Methods

In addition to developing a student-centered model of online learning, we also developed research and assessment procedures to be used throughout the class. Because we were piloting the course for the first time, we wanted to understand three things in particular: (1) student perspectives on teaching and learning online; (2) instructor perspectives on teaching and learning online; and (3) how well students in online courses were meeting the course outcomes, as demonstrated in their writing.

We decided on three separate research procedures that focused on students: in-class surveys, post-course focus-group interviews, and a direct assessment of student writing. We report student comments on in-class surveys and the post course focus-group interview in the "Student Perspectives" sections. We do not discuss the assessment data in depth in this chapter, but we do present it in the conclusion. We also conducted a focus group interview with the three instructors, each of whom kept a reflective journal throughout the course. We draw from these data in the "Instructor Perspectives" sections.

Surveys

In the first, fourth, and sixth weeks of the summer course, students were invited to complete an anonymous survey about their experiences in the online English 111 course. In the fall 2012 online course, students were invited to complete two surveys, one at midterm and one at the end of the semester.

We elected to use a longitudinal survey design (Seifert et al. 2010) to better understand student learning and growth throughout the course. We asked students the same questions or close to the same questions in each survey so that we could track their perception of specific issues over time. Surveys asked students about their familiarity with the key outcomes of the course, their comfort level with the course technologies, and about their perceptions of composition and the course overall.

In the summer, the first student survey was completed by 75 percent of the students (N=28); the second survey was completed by 56 percent (N=21); and the third survey was completed by 54 percent (N=20). In fall 2012, the first survey was completed by 90 percent (N=19 students); the last survey was completed by 33 percent (N=7). We think the last survey in the fall had a lower response rate because it was administered during finals week when students had exams, papers, and projects due for other courses.

Student focus group

At the end of the summer course, students were invited to participate in a focus group interview about their experiences in English 111. We conducted the interview in September 2012, after students had been enrolled in traditional college courses at Miami University for six weeks. Three students participated in the focus group interviews.

Direct assessment of student writing

As part of the final reflective inquiry in the course, students in all online sections compiled eportfolios of their writing, using Chalk and Wire. After the fall 2012 sections had completed, the portfolios from both fall and summer online sections were read and scored by a team of readers who were not the instructors using a criterion, outcomes-based rubric. The results from this assessment were compared with the results from the last assessment of traditional classrooms conducted from fall 2010 sections.

Instructor reflective journals and focus group

The three team members teaching English 111 online, Lance Cummings, Renea Frey, and Ryan Ireland, each kept a reflective journal throughout the weeks they taught the summer courses. In addition, after the summer courses were over, Lance, Renea, and Ryan, met for a focus group interview held in a Google hangout and recorded.