A cross-institutional study of instructional characteristics and student outcomes: Are quality indicators of online courses able to predict student success?

Abstract

A study was conducted to examine instructional characteristics of quality in online courses and their relationship to student outcomes in online courses at a National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements 2-year and a 4-year higher educational institution. Instructional characteristics included learner support, course design and organization, content design and delivery, interactivity (student–instructor and student–student), and assessment. A student survey instrument was created that captures student perceptions of the instructional characteristics of their courses, their learning, and their satisfaction with the courses. The data collected from the student survey was merged with data from institutional student information systems (e.g., demographics and course grade). This article examines the relationship between these instructional characteristics, sometimes referred to as indicators of online course quality, and their relationship to student outcomes for all students and for underrepresented students. Additional analyses were conducted to examine differences among underrepresented students (e.g., minorities, first-generation, low-income, students with impairments or disabilities) using MANOVA. Significant findings are reported.