Students' Learning Support and Perceptions in an Online Mathematics Course in a Business Faculty

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  • Author(s): Heilporn, Géraldine; Desrochers, Marie-Eve
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Jun 2020 11(1).
  • Publication Date:
    2020
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      University of Western Ontario and Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Mills Memorial Library Room 504, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L6, Canada. Tel: 905-525-9140; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca/
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      16
    • Education Level:
      Higher Education
      Postsecondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Teaching Methods; Student Attitudes; Online Courses; Electronic Learning; College Mathematics; Instructional Design; Asynchronous Communication; Synchronous Communication; Teacher Student Relationship; Foreign Countries; College Students; Business Administration Education; Integrated Learning Systems; Computer Software; Cooperative Learning
    • Subject Terms:
      Canada
    • ISSN:
      1918-2902
    • Abstract:
      Online courses are growing in higher education, resulting from an increased access to information and communication technologies. While such courses allow time and/or space flexibility for both students and instructors, they also promote active learning and require more autonomy from the students. In this paper, we present the main design features of a new prerequisite mathematics online course in a business faculty. While most of the course was designed in an asynchronous mode, it also includes blended synchronous support sessions that students can attend each week. As a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project, we related the design features of the course to students' learning support and perceptions by analyzing the content of the learning management system as well as students' narrative comments in course teaching evaluations over five semesters. The main themes reported concerned the appreciated course design and structure, the enhanced instructor's presence through commented slideshows and support sessions, the instructor's accessibility and care, a challenging but relevant course, and collaborative practice with a software application. In particular, the instructor's presence and follow-up throughout the semester was highlighted by the students as a means to support their learning. Furthermore, most students' comments reported positive perceptions about the online course and specific design features. Several comments also allowed to identify potential areas for change in a future version on the course, as part of the SoTL research that focuses on teaching and learning improvement.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2020
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1262596