Karen Swan

Summarizes three national surveys of district/high‑school leaders conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group. Reviews the scale, forms (fully online, blended, supplemental), and purposes of K–12 online learning and discusses implications for policy and high‑school reform, situating K–12 developments in the broader trajectory of online education.

With online enrollments growing and attrition a concern, this study examined whether Community of Inquiry (CoI) indicators relate to persistence. Analyzing more than 28,000 student records plus survey data, the authors found that CoI indicators—especially Social Presence—accounted for significant variance in re‑enrollment, suggesting CoI factors are linked to retention in online programs.

This article reports development and validation of an instrument to operationalize the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. Results support the instrument as a valid, reliable, and efficient measure of social and cognitive presence, and indicate teaching presence comprises two factors—design/organization and instructor facilitation. Implications are discussed for researchers, designers, administrators, and instructors constructing effective online learning environments.

Arguing that assessment drives student activity, this paper discusses how assessment can encourage and shape online collaboration. It presents theoretical grounding and practical strategies across three areas—collaborative discussion, small‑group collaboration, and collaborative exams—offering guidance for assessing and fostering collaboration in online courses.

This mixed‑methods study explored social presence—participants’ affective connectedness—in online course discussions. Survey data from four online graduate courses and qualitative comparisons of students with high vs. low perceived social presence showed strong correlations between perceived social presence and satisfaction. The perceived presence of instructors appeared more influential for satisfaction than the presence of peers, and aspects of course design also affected the development of social presence.

Presents a multi‑institutional study (n=2,036) linking teaching‑presence behaviors to students’ sense of online learning community. Effective instructional design/organization and directed facilitation by instructors are significant predictors of connectedness and perceived learning, supporting design strategies that foreground presence to build community.

This article examines course design factors that affect success in asynchronous online learning, with emphasis on the social development of learning communities through discussion. An empirical analysis of 22 design factors across 73 SUNY Learning Network courses showed that clarity/consistency of design, instructor contact and feedback, and active, valued discussion were significantly related to students’ perceived learning, satisfaction, and interaction with instructors and peers. Content analysis of a graduate course’s discussions suggests participants use verbal immediacy behaviors to support community.

This paper investigates factors affecting student satisfaction and perceived learning in asynchronous online learning. Using data from 73 SUNY Learning Network courses (Spring 1999), the study found that three factors—clarity and consistency of course design, interaction with instructors, and active discussion among participants—significantly influenced satisfaction and perceived learning. Findings are discussed in relation to interactivity and a community‑of‑inquiry model for online learning.