Does Feedback Influence Student Postings to Online Discussions?

Katrina A. Meyer

Journal of Educators Online Vol. 4, No. 1 (January 2007)

Feedback theory proposes that feedback influences the behavior of a system and its parts and that is governed by rules. This exploratory study attempts to test this theory in a graduate-level class on leadership theory. Twelve students were asked to ...

An Analysis of the Cost and Cost-Effectiveness of Faculty Development for Online Teaching

Katrina A. Meyer

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 18, No. 1 (2014)

This article presents the results of a national study of 39 higher education institutions that collected information about their cost measures used to evaluate faculty development for online teaching as well as decisions they would make to expand,...

If Higher Education is a Right, and Distance Education is the Answer, Then Who Will Pay?

Katrina A. Meyer

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 12, No. 1 (February 2008) pp. 45–68

If higher education is a right, and distance education is the avenue for making higher education universally available, then who shall pay? This article asks (1) can state governments in the United States afford to fund this initiative and (2) can...

When Topics Are Controversial: Is It Better to Discuss Them Face-to-Face or Online?

Katrina A. Meyer

Innovative Higher Education Vol. 31, No. 3 (October 2006) pp. 175–186

Ten students in a graduate-level course on Historical and Policy Perspectives in Higher Education held face-to-face and online discussions on five controversial topics: diversity, academic freedom, political tolerance, affirmative action, and gender....

A comparison of Web 2.0 tools in a doctoral course

Katrina A. Meyer

Internet and Higher Education Vol. 13, No. 4 (December 2010) pp. 226–232

Adult, professional students in a doctoral-level course used Web 2.0 tools such as wikis, blogs, and online discussions to develop answers to six “Big Questions” related to higher education finance and also produced a research paper that used...

Language: English

Western Governors University: Creating the First Virtual University

Katrina A. Meyer

New Directions for Higher Education Vol. 146 (2009) pp. 35–43

Distance education in its many forms had been around for decades, but the Western Governors University (WGU) was arguably the first "virtual university" (VU) in the United States, or at least the first VU that gained widespread attention from the...

The Impact of Competition on Program Quality

Katrina A. Meyer

Planning for Higher Education Vol. 32, No. 4 (2004) pp. 5–13

Will head-to-head competition among degree programs lead to greater quality or less? States are pursuing several policies that increase market competition, such as funding distance education and virtual universities. Planning professionals need...

If Higher Education Is a Right, and Distance Education Is the Answer, Then Who Will Pay?

Katrina A. Meyer

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 14, No. 1 (March 2010) pp. 45–68

If higher education is a right, and distance education is the avenue for making higher education universally available, then who shall pay? This article asks (1) can state governments in the United States afford to fund this initiative and (2) can...

Critical Decisions Affecting the Development of Western Governors University

Katrina A. Meyer

Innovative Higher Education Vol. 30, No. 3 (September 2005) pp. 177–194

Interviews conducted with individuals involved in the early development and current operation of the Western Governors University allowed identification of 12 themes concerning early, formative decisions and decision-making processes. These themes...

The Influence of Online Teaching on Faculty Productivity

Katrina A. Meyer

Innovative Higher Education Vol. 37, No. 1 (February 2012) pp. 37–52

Ten faculty members with experience teaching online were interviewed about their motivation for teaching online and the effect of teaching online on their teaching and research productivity. They represented nine different states and 13 different...

Common Metaphors and Their Impact on Distance Education: What They Tell Us and What They Hide

Katrina A. Meyer

Teachers College Record Vol. 107, No. 8 (August 2005) pp. 1601–1625

This article explores some of the common metaphors used to illuminate the Web and its application to distance education. Using the work of Lakoff and Johnson (1980) as a foundation for understanding and categorizing metaphors, the advantages and...

New Definitions for New Higher Education Institutions

Katrina A. Meyer

New Directions for Higher Education Vol. 146 (2009) pp. 11–15

New terms were exploding early in the development of distance learning and virtual universities. Distance learning, online learning, e-learning, and distributed learning were applied to the various new forms of learning using online or Web-based...

Online Program Capacity: Limited, Static, Elastic, or Infinite?

Katrina A. Meyer

Planning for Higher Education Vol. 36, No. 2 (2008) pp. 54–65

What is the capacity of online programs? Can these types of programs enroll more students than their face-to-face counterparts or not? This article looks at research on achieving cost-efficiencies through online learning, identifies the parts of an...

A Study of Online Discourse at "The Chronicle of Higher Education"

Katrina A. Meyer

Innovative Higher Education Vol. 35, No. 3 (June 2010) pp. 143–160

Given the explosive growth of online communications, new forms of discourse are an intriguing topic of study. This research focused on ten online discussions hosted by "The Chronicle of Higher Education," using content and discourse analysis of the...

Does Policy Make a Difference? An Exploration into Policies for Distance Education

Katrina A. Meyer

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Vol. 5, No. 4 (2002)

Discusses the impact of various policies, including faculty compensation, workload, intellectual property, and geographic service areas, on distance education enrollment growth. Reports on five cases based on data from a survey of members of the...

The Implications of Brain Research for Distance Education

Katrina A. Meyer

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Vol. 6, No. 3

This article presents information drawn from research on brain processes that impact perception, memory, learning, and understandings about the world. This information is related to the use of interactive video and the Web in distance education...

Is Online Learning a Disruptive Innovation?

Katrina A. Meyer

Planning for Higher Education Vol. 39, No. 4 (2011) pp. 44–53

In their desire to plan for the future, planners must assess the role of both internal and external influences on the institution. What then should people make of the idea that technology is disruptive? This perception fuels the views of Barone and...

Planning for Cost-Efficiencies in Online Learning

Katrina A. Meyer

Planning for Higher Education Vol. 33, No. 3 (2005) pp. 19–30

This article proposes a framework that can help institutions break down and analyze the costs of online learning so they can make decisions about how to improve the cost-efficiencies of online education. The framework involves looking at costs...

How Community College Faculty Members May Improve Student Learning Productivity in Their Online Courses

Katrina A. Meyer

Community College Journal of Research and Practice Vol. 38, No. 6 (2014) pp. 575–587

Eleven experienced community college faculty members were interviewed to elicit examples of how they improved student learning productivity in their online courses. The 11 faculty members represented eight different states, nine different fields or...

Topics: Community, Faculty

The Closing of the U.S. Open University

Katrina A. Meyer

Educause Quarterly Vol. 29, No. 2 (2006) pp. 5–7

In spring 1999, the Open University (OU) of the United Kingdom created the U.S. Open University (USOU) to coincide with the explosive growth of online education in the United States. The institution's first chancellor, Richard S. Jarvis (previously...

The Web's Impact on Student Learning

Katrina A. Meyer

T.H.E. Journal Vol. 30, No. 10 (2003)

Discusses studies that investigated the impact of the Web on student learning and compared Web-based with traditional courses. Focuses on individual differences, including gender differences and generational differences; instructional design,...

Putting the Distance Learning Comparison Study in Perspective: Its Role as Personal Journey Research

Katrina A. Meyer

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Vol. 7, No. 1 (2004)

Administrators of distance learning are faced with the challenge of encouraging reluctant faculty to consider online teaching. Is it possible that supporting faculty to conduct modest research studies is such an avenue? Currently, many research...

The “virtual face” of institutions: Why legislators and other outsiders view higher education as aloof

Katrina A. Meyer

Internet and Higher Education Vol. 11, No. 3 (2008) pp. 178–185

This research investigated the availability of information on higher education institutions through the web sites of 40 higher education institutions; 10 each from Doctoral/Research, Master’s, Baccalaureate, and Community Colleges drawn from 40...

Language: English

Information Found and Not Found: What University Websites Tell Students

Katrina A. Meyer; Stephanie Jones

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Vol. 14, No. 3 (2011)

This study investigates how graduate students experience their university websites, or the institutional "virtual face." The sample included graduate students admitted to online and blended higher education programs at Texas Tech University and the...

How Online Faculty Improve Student Learning Productivity

Katrina A. Meyer; Larry McNeal

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 15, No. 3 (June 2011) pp. 37–53

Ten experienced online faculty were interviewed to elicit examples of how they improved student learning productivity in their online courses. The ten faculty represented nine different states, 13 different fields or disciplines, and all were...

Academics online: Their interests and foibles

Katrina A. Meyer; Larry McNeal

Internet and Higher Education Vol. 14, No. 2 (March 2011) pp. 113–120

Faculty and staff are participating in blogs and online discussions in greater numbers, but this involvement is poorly understood. This study used content analysis to evaluate 40 online discussions hosted on The Chronicle of Higher Education website....

Language: English

Changing Course Management Systems: Lessons Learned

Kathy A. Smart; Katrina A. Meyer

Educause Quarterly Vol. 28, No. 2 (2005) pp. 68–70

During 2003, the North Dakota University System began to be concerned about the cost of supporting multiple course management systems. Since 1997, the 11 NDUS institutions had used 9 different course management packages, including one homegrown...

A Causal Model of Factors Influencing Faculty Use of Technology

Katrina A. Meyer; Yonghong Jade Xu

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 13, No. 2 (August 2009) pp. 57–70

Based on earlier studies using the 1999 and 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) data [1, 2], a causal model explaining faculty technology use was constructed. Path analysis was used to test the causal effects of age, gender, highest ...

Principles for Promoting the Financial Sustainability of Online Programs

Katrina A. Meyer; Janis Bruwelheide; Russell Poulin

Planning for Higher Education Vol. 37, No. 3 (2009) pp. 36–55

The project described in this article was an attempt to uncover the principles of financial sustainability for online programs and to align these with a guide to managing online programs. An initial team of experienced online educators developed...

The "Virtual Face" of Planning: How to Use Higher Education Web Sites to Assess Competitive Advantage

Katrina A. Meyer; Jeffery L. Wilson

Planning for Higher Education Vol. 38, No. 2 (2010) pp. 11–21

The research presented in this article demonstrates how to investigate the competitive position of an institution's academic programs or services through an analysis of the Web sites of other higher education institutions. By using information from...

Graduate Students Rate Institutional Websites: The Must Have, Nice to Have, and Delighted to Have Services

Katrina A. Meyer; Stephanie J. Jones

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 16, No. 1 (January 2012) pp. 5–18

The graduate students admitted to the online and blended programs in higher education at Texas Tech University and the University of Memphis were surveyed about their respective university websites, or the institution's "virtual face." A total of 42 ...

Factors explaining faculty technology use and productivity

Yonghong (Jade) Xu; Katrina A. Meyer

Internet and Higher Education Vol. 10, No. 1 (2007) pp. 41–52

This study examines factors related to technology use in teaching by university faculty. An EFA analysis of multiple questions of technology use in the classroom found two factors: one loaded with Web use and the second with email use. Therefore,...

Language: English

The Role of Online Learning in the Emergency Plans of Flagship Institutions

Katrina A. Meyer; Jeffery L. Wilson

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Vol. 14, No. 1 (2011)

The study researched the websites of the 50 state flagship higher education institutions to investigate whether and how online or distance learning were included in the institutions' emergency plans as solutions to emergencies such as H1N1. All 50...

Why They Stayed: Near-Perfect Retention in an Online Certification Program in Library Media

Katrina A. Meyer; Janis Bruwelheide; Russell Poulin

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 13, No. 3 (October 2009) pp. 129–145

This paper focuses on an assessment of an online certification program in K-12 library media which has a near-perfect record of retaining students. Students and graduates of the program were asked to identify reasons for enrolling (and staying...

A National Study of Training Content and Activities for Faculty Development for Online Teaching

Katrina A. Meyer; Vicki S. Murrell

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 18, No. 1 (2014)

This article presents the results of a national study of 39 higher education institutions that collected information about their practices for faculty development for online teaching and particularly the content and training activities used during...

Do Students Experience Flow Conditions Online?

Katrina A. Meyer; Stephanie J. Jones

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 17, No. 3 (October 2013) pp. 137–148

This pilot study asked graduate students enrolled in higher education programs at two institutions to ascertain whether and to what extent they experienced nine flow-related conditions in two settings: (1) online courses or (2) surfing or gaming...

A National Survey of Faculty Development Evaluation Outcome Measures and Procedures

Katrina A. Meyer; Vicki S. Murrell

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 18, No. 3 (October 2014)

This article presents the results of a national study of 39 higher education institutions that collected information about their evaluation procedures and outcome measures for faculty development for online teaching conducted during 2011-2012. The...

The "Virtual Face" of Distance Learning at Public Colleges and Universities: What Do Websites Reveal about Administrative Student Support Services?

Stephanie J. Jones; Katrina A. Meyer

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Vol. 15, No. 4 (2012)

This study investigated how higher education institutions support their distance learning initiatives through their institutional websites--their "virtual face." The population was 40 institutions, of which 10 each were doctoral/research, master,...

Do Students Experience "Social Intelligence," Laughter, and Other Emotions Online?

Katrina A. Meyer; Stephanie J. Jones

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks Vol. 16, No. 4 (June 2012) pp. 99–111

Are online activities devoid of emotion and social intelligence? Graduate students in online and blended programs at Texas Tech University and the University of Memphis were surveyed about how often they laughed, felt other emotions, and expressed...

A Bayesian analysis of the institutional and individual factors influencing faculty technology use

Katrina A. Meyer; Yonghong Jade Xu

Internet and Higher Education Vol. 10, No. 3 (2007) pp. 184–195

This study answered questions about which faculty come to use technology in their teaching and used a novel statistical analysis to develop a model that captures the primary factors influencing faculty technology use. It used a sample of 16,914...

Language: English

A National Study of Theories and Their Importance for Faculty Development for Online Teaching

Katrina A. Meyer; Vicki S. Murrell

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Vol. 17, No. 2

This article presents the results of a national study of 39 higher education institutions that collected information about their practices for faculty development for online teaching and particularly the content and training activities used during...

Topics: Faculty

Developing Knowledge through Practical Experience: The Principles of Financial Sustainability for Online Programs

Katrina A. Meyer; Janis Bruwelheide; Russell Poulin

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Vol. 10, No. 2

Following the theory of situated cognition as proposed by Brown, Collins, and Duguid (1998), this research project tapped into the contextual knowledge of experienced administrators of online programs. Draft principles of financial sustainability...

Piloting a Blended Approach to Teaching Statistics in a College of Education: Lessons Learned

Yonghong Jade Xu; Katrina A. Meyer; Dianne Morgan

Journal of Educators Online Vol. 5, No. 2 (July 2008)

This study investigated the performance of graduate students enrolled in introductory statistics courses. The course in Fall 2005 was delivered in a traditional face-to-face manner and the same course in Fall 2006 was blended by using an online...

A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Using an Online Commercial Tutoring System to Teach Introductory Statistics

Yonghong Jade Xu; Katrina A. Meyer; Dianne D. Morgan

Journal of Statistics Education Vol. 17, No. 2 (July 2009)

This study used a mixed-methods approach to evaluate a hybrid teaching format that incorporated an online tutoring system, ALEKS, to address students' learning needs in a graduate-level introductory statistics course. Student performance in the...