Graduate Business Students Perceptions of Online Learning: A Five Year Comparison.

Abstract This study compared graduate business students' access to online graduate programs and their perceptions relating to online learning overa five-year period. Student input was provided during 2001 and 2006. Students in 2006 had greater access to entire graduate programs being offered online than did the 2001 students. The students in 2006 felt more strongly than the 2001 students that more time was needed to complete course work related to online courses than was needed for traditional courses. The 2006 students also felt more strongly that the quality of online courses was better than traditional courses, and they indicated they were more likely than the 2001 group to recommend online learning to friends. Both groups of students indicated that the main reasons they enrolled in online courses were for scheduling convenience and avoiding travel to campus for class. Introduction Online course enrollments in higher education continue to grow. The Sloan Consortium reported that 3.2 million higher-education students were enrolled in 2006 which was up from 2.3 million in 2005 (Strong Growth, 2006). Chief academic officers acknowledge that there has been criticism relating to the quality of online offerings, but they claim that online learning is now of the same quality as traditional courses and that online offerings allow institutions to better serve students' needs (Allen & Seaman, 2006). The continued growth of online learning at universities may indicate that online learning has been accepted as a delivery medium. However, online learning is still in the development stage, and continued research is needed. One area in particular that deserves more research attention is examining student experiences and satisfaction with online learning (Smart & Cappel, 2006). Roper (2007) noted that students may apply different learning strategies when taking an online course. Students who have been successful online learners can provide educators with valuable insight relating to effective e-learning strategies; students should be encouraged to share both their positive and negative online learning experiences (Valenta, Therriault, Dieter, & Mrtek, 2001). As college educators move forward with integrating technology and expanding online course offerings, they can use the information shared by students to create effective and satisfying learning environments. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to determine if, over a five-year period, graduate business students' perceptions of online learning had changed. The findings of the study will provide insight into current graduate student perspectives of online learning and afford an overview of the changes in perceptions that have occurred during the five year period between 2001 and 2006. The information will be valuable in keeping online course developers and teachers up to date regarding student expectations and experiences. Adjustments based on the student input can be used to strengthen positive components while minimizing problematic issues related to online learning at the graduate level. The problem addressed in this study was to determine if there were differences between graduate business students' online learning experiences and perceptions identified in a 2001 study and student experiences and perceptions in 2006. The students in both years' studies were completing online graduate-level courses offered through AACSB-accredited schools of business. The online learning factors compared in the studies include online program availability, onlinelearning time commitments, reasons for selecting online learning, the adequacy of the training received on distance-learning technologies, overall quality of online courses, and willingness of students to recommend online learning to friends. The following research questions were addressed in the study: 1. Is there a difference between the availability of graduate business degree programs being offered entirely online in 2006 as compared to 2001? …