This investigation was guided by Moore’s theory of transactional distance (1993). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect that student attributes such as learner autonomy (LA) as measured through its independent constructs of desire to learn (DL), learner resourcefulness (LR), learner initiative (LI) and learner persistence (LP); online technology self-efficacy (OTSE), as well as course structure and dialogue (CSD) have on student satisfaction (SS) and performance (SP) in online learning environments.
Students enrolled in asynchronous, distance learning courses offered through the Allied Health Program at a Midwestern university were surveyed to determine the effect of LA, OTSE, and CSD on students’ satisfaction and performance in online course environments. Students’ performance was measured using final course grades.
The learner characteristics and distance learning experience questionnaire and the short form of the learner autonomy profile (LAP-SF) (Confessore & Park, 2004) were used as survey instruments. The learner characteristics and distance learning experience (LCDLE) questionnaire included items to solicit information including demographics along with a number of items adapted from published research instruments including the online technologies self-efficacy scale (OTSES) by Miltiadou (2001), the survey of student experiences in online courses (SEOC), published by Lan, et al.(2003), items evaluating student satisfaction and level of interaction with faculty and students (dialogue) adapted from the work of Swan (2001), and items evaluating students’ perception of the course structure by Huang (2002).
General conclusions drawn from this investigation included the following:
Course structure-dialogue was a significant predictor of students’ satisfaction with the online courses investigated.
Course structure-dialogue was negatively correlated with students’ impact scores indicating that technology related problems had less effect on students’ learning experience in these online courses when the course structure met students’ needs and the amount of dialogue within the course was sufficient.
Neither course structure-dialogue, online technology self-efficacy, nor learner autonomy was found to be significant in predicting students’ performance in the online courses.
Most of the students were satisfied with the online courses, although a significant negative relationship between students’ age and student satisfaction with the online courses was identified in this investigation.