Computer-mediated learning is reshaping higher education, allowing for creation of new learning environments, inclusion of more nontraditional students, and affording greater access to education via online courses and programs (Beaudoin, 2006; Ivankova & Stick, 2007; Wang, 2006). According to the Sloan-C Survey of Online Learning nearly 4.6 million students were enrolled in at least one online course during the fall 2008 (Allen & Seaman, 2009). This is a 17% increase from the previous year. Convenience, flexibility, and improved student access to learning are the most often cited objectives for online courses and programs (Allen & Seaman, 2009; Jones, 2003; Song, Singleton, Hill, & Koh, 2004). The latter include not only traditional content-based courses but research methods courses that require teaching both the content and applied research skills. Methodological courses in quantitative and qualitative research designs have always been an integral part of the Graduate School curricula. Most of these courses, however, have been developed for campus-based and commuter students, leaving out a growing distance student population who matriculate in extended education programs and are geographically removed from the locus of the home institution. Reportedly, online environment provides students great flexibility for learning opportunities and allows for and facilitates maximum involvement by all participants. At the same time, it creates challenges imposed by the distance learning environment, technological issues, and personally related factors. Learning research methods in such environment imposes additional challenges related to the applied nature of such courses and the focus on the development of research skills, which requires increased involvement with the course content and a new set of instructional strategies (Kearsley, 2000). Of great importance is creating a learning environment that effectively engages students with the course so that students can maximally benefit from the new learning formats and have equally advantageous opportunities to develop into critical consumers of research. Exploring what teaching and learning strategies students perceive effective in learning applied research methods online might provide instructors with a valuable insight on how to engage students while teaching existing and developing new research methods courses. Understanding how students engage in learning applied research methods online and how they value and apply the acquired knowledge is also directly related to the three issues highlighted in the Secretary of Education Spellings’ Commission report on the future of higher education - access, affordability, and accountability - as being of paramount importance for ensuring that postsecondary students in the United States regain leadership roles and compete successfully in the global economy of the 21st century (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to explore from students’ perspective how they engage in learning applied research methods online. The study used a mixed methods approach to research which is defined is a procedure for collecting, analyzing and ‘mixing’ or integrating both quantitative and qualitative data at some stage of the research process within a single study for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of the research problem (Creswell, 2008; Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003). The study procedures followed the explanatory design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) which consisted of two separate phases, a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. The goal was to explore the problem both quantitatively and qualitatively to gain a deeper insight into the issue while ensuring the meta-inferences made are more valid (Green & Caracelli, 1997). The numeric data provided a general picture of the research problem, e.g., how students engage in learning applied research methods online and what teaching and learning strategies they perceive effective. The qualitative follow-up interviews with 12 purposefully selected respondents sought the explanation of the quantitative trends and helped elaborate on the statistical results to provide a better understanding of the research problem. The objective of the first, quantitative phase was to explore students’ perspectives by surveying a representative sample of 119 (84.5% response rate) students who have completed at least one of the four graduate research methods courses online over the last four years (Introduction to Qualitative Research, Advanced Qualitative Research, Survey Methods, and Mixed Methods Research) in the School of Education at a Research I university located in the southeastern U.S. The research questions addressed in the quantitative phase included: What teaching strategies do students perceive effective in learning applied research methods online? What learning strategies do students perceive effective in learning applied research methods online? The results of multiple regression indicated that only course design and time management were deemed important factors in predicting students’ perceived effectiveness of learning research methods online. A statistically significant difference was found between the students who completed one online research methods course versus two or more. In the second, qualitative phase 12 students representing typical and extreme cases were interviewed to elaborate on the quantitative results in more depth. Additionally, the qualitative phase sought to understand how students value and apply knowledge of research methods acquired online. The results from the qualitative interviews revealed students applied a varied number of learning strategies that helped them master both the methodological concepts and procedures. The number and nature of strategies varied depending on the program level (masters vs. doctoral) and the number of online courses taken. Participants tended to view the instructor more as facilitator of their knowledge and responsible for the course design, layout, and timely delivery of the information. They saw the major shift from instructor’s teaching to student learning, which was differently appreciated by students from different program levels and majors. All participants, however, valued the knowledge received in the online course. The online format required active learning and made them work harder. As a result, the retention of the course information was longer and on a deeper cognitive level. Overall the study revealed the effective means of learning and teaching applied research methods online from students’ perspective. To our knowledge, no research has yet addressed this problem. To ensure students benefit from online learning they need to have quality experiences and effective learning outcomes relevant to both their academic and professional needs.
