Dissertation Writing Help - Touchstones of Online Program Performance

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Numerous studies show that online education has made its impact on higher education over the past several years and it is projected to accelerate. This is occurring at a time when accountability in higher education has been on center stage in the form of learning outcomes. Although the two areas have been developing concurrently, they have been doing so rather independently. What has gone unmentioned is how these two could, and eventually will, interact. In that regard, Twigg (2001) suggests that online education, has the potential to surpass traditional educational learning outcomes if the faculty member can create environments that provide individualized learning approaches that serve each person in ways that he or she can most benefit.

Moreover, many argue that online education is changing the traditional campus environment as well. Instructional technology promises are being realized by increased communication, expanded research opportunities, and innovative methods and modes of instruction. As one can imagine, online education can be a costly proposition. With the recent economic downturn, budgets at higher education institutions - nationwide - are expected to be tight. Furthermore many educational institutions now face a new competitive landscape from for-profit enterprises. In a fiscally tight and highly competitive market, models of successful distance education programs can help other schools avoid costly mistakes. For these and other reasons, analysis of program quality factors related to distance education is an essential topic for national, state, and institutional policy development.

This study poses one central research question which asks, "How do regional community and technical colleges develop and deploy online teaching and learning activities that contribute to achieving intended learning outcomes as identified by faculty, students, administrators, and community stakeholders in business programs that are taught fully online?" Utilizing a purposeful sampling process, forty-nine interviews - with students, faculty members, program administrators, computer support personnel, program counselors/advisors, and local community member stakeholders - were conducted at four colleges over the course of six months in 2002. Data was analyzed using a constant comparative technique to develop coding categories in order to generate a substantive grounded-theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) about factors contributing to the success of individual program graduates, and describe the attributes of high quality online business programs in a 2-year college setting.

The findings of this study, as noted by the forty-nine informants, led to the development of a highly complex and integrated systems theory that reflects the characteristics of high quality online business programs called the Touchstone of Online Program Excellence (TOPE). In that regard, six touchstones emerged from the data including employee engagement, community engagement, infrastructure effectiveness, cost effectiveness, student engagement, and learning effectiveness. In addition, several attributes, elements, and characteristics that defined high quality online business programs also emerged from the data. Precisely the TOPE theory maintains that engaged employees and communities create effective program/course delivery infrastructures causing students to engage in and learn from cost effective online programs/courses. The touchstones depict the organizational features of high performing two-year colleges with fully online business programs, as informed by key stakeholder views of institutional performance and program assessment. Thirty-seven insinuations for professional practice were recommended to guide operational aspects of online program development. Further, 40 indicators were identified aimed at helping institutions monitor quality progress. Finally several techniques intended at minimizing the limitations of future online program studies were recommended.