Course Design Factors Influencing the Success of Online Learning

http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED448760This paper looks at factors affecting the success of asynchronous online learning through an investigation of relationships between student perceptions and course design factors in the SUNY (State University of New York) Learning Network, one of the largest asynchronous learning networks in the country. It finds that three such factors--consistency in course design, interaction with course instructors, and active discussion--have been consistently shown to significantly influence the success of online courses. It is posited that the reason for these findings relates to the importance of building community in online courses