Assessing Quality Dimensions and Elements of Online Learning

planning of institutional support. Understanding which elements contribute to quality
online learning provides administrators and faculty with information on which to base
decisions for improvements in online learning designs and implementations and for
future staff development opportunities.
Researcher’s Perspective and Bias
The researcher’s perspective regarding online learning and quality is shaped not
only by the literature on instructional design principles but also by instructional design
experiences and the practice of teaching in face to face and online environments. The
researcher’s academic studies have primarily focused on the design of and teaching in
online environments. In addition, the researcher has participated in the design of three
Web-only graduate courses, has taught numerous graduate level online courses, and has
integrated online learning in face to face environments over that past six years. Finally
the researcher has co-authored six published articles on online learning topics.
Understanding the complexities of online design, teaching, and learning has been and
continues to be the researcher’s primary research focus.
The researcher is influenced by the notion that instructional strategies used in a
particular course design should be multifaceted in order to address the varying levels of
learners and the learning context. In other words, an instructional approach used for
learners who require background knowledge may not be appropriate for learners who are
familiar with the content. The researcher’s epistemological orientation related to online
teaching and design does not lie with a single learning theory but rather along a
continuum between objectivism/behaviorism and constructivism. Ertmer and Newby
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