Assessing an Online Student Orientation: Impacts on Retention, Satisfaction, and Student Learning

ABSTRACT

To help prepare students for the rigors of an online master’s degree in technical and professional communication, I created a course-embedded online student orientation (OSO) structured by the community of inquiry theory of online learning. The study researched the effect of the OSO on student satisfaction, student perceptions of online learning, and students’ program retention. The OSO was effective in helping students to reflect on their learning and demonstrated students’ interest in peer collaboration.

KEYWORDS:

• Computer-based learning
• Instructional technology
• Classroom research
• Online orientation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Julie Watts

Julie Watts is professor of English at University of Wisconsin-Stout. She is founding director of the MS Technical and Professional Communication. Her research interests focus on program assessment as well as the communicative dynamics and culture of the classroom learning community and what instructors can do to facilitate student learning.