**7.1 Lessons learned**

#### **7.1.1 About the program**

The students in this research project were served by a well-organized and multi-faceted support organization. Southwestern ESO had four defining characteristics:


Discipline, initiative, and technology self-efficacy emerged as keys to success in online learning. Because of the discipline required to complete and submit work on a timely basis, the students did not think online learning was for all students. One student was particularly concerned about freshmen taking online courses. The students saw initiative as important because the teacher is not physically there to guide you through every step of the work you have to get done. While acknowledging that everything students needed to complete assignments was present in the online course materials and the online tools provided (discussion board, for example), some students would be uneasy about accessing the help they needed. These students also felt that students pursuing online study needed a degree of comfort and knowledge with using a computer and the Internet. They felt these skills could be learned, but that the new student would need support as they went through the learning

All the student participants felt that having access to online courses was required for them to meet their goals for a degree. The four students with full-time jobs did not think they would have been able to pursue postsecondary study without the online option. The two nonworking students felt that having access to online learning allowed them to complete

1. There is a need for increased fully online undergraduate degree program options by public institutions. Prasad and Lewis (2008) found that institutions are offering individual online courses at a much higher rate than they are offering fully online degree programs. Public institutions must make this change or continue to force students who can least

2. Institutions must make their local communities aware of their online options, financial aide opportunities and educational support services. In this research project,

3. Institutions must prepare themselves to have on-campus students and distance students competing for seats in their online courses. As shown in this research, campus students take a blended approach to scheduling by including both campus-based and online courses. In many cases, online courses will be comprised of campus students and distant students, two populations requiring different types of support. In research conducted with of students enrolled in graduate study, Skopek and Schuhmann (2008) found that obstacles related to geographical proximity are concerns for distant students enrolled in courses with on-campus students. Because they are physically further from faculty, they have fewer opportunities to interact with faculty and peers face-to-face

4. Do not restrict all interactions in an online course to be mediated by Internet technologies. The students participating in this research experienced a variety of online

their degree requirements faster, thereby entering the job market sooner.

afford it to find more expensive out-of-state and for-profit options.

Southwestern ESO took on this function.

than on-campus students.

The lessons learned from this research have the following implications for practice:

**7.1.5 About success** 

process.

**7.1.6 About personal impact** 

**7.2 Implications for practice** 

## **7.1.2 About the students**

All of the students in this research project were pursuing postsecondary education as a way of advancing themselves financially and professionally. None of them considered themselves anything beyond computer novices before they enrolled in online study; two of them did not have a home computer or Internet access. They chose the online option for a variety of reasons. The military wife and mother chose online study because it suited her life as a mother who needed to be home with her children and a military wife who moved from base to base. The senior citizen chose online courses to supplement her on-campus courses as a way of completing her degree faster.
