Graduate Student Perceptions of Online Advising

Abstract

As online education continues to expand across the nation and world, studies on online learners need to continually address student needs for and satisfaction with advising. However, to date, academic advising for online education has been explored rarely. Therefore, this quantitative study was conducted on graduate students' perceptions of academic advising experiences in online education programs in terms of communication, academic advisor knowledge of support services, and academic advisor behaviors. The data indicated that students agreed to statements about academic advisors as effective and that they expected proactive, timely, and knowledgeable advising. Implications for advisors of online students and suggested strategies emerged from the data and may enhance current advising practices.