Student Views of Effective Online Teaching in Higher Education
Suzanne Young
University of Wyoming

This study investigated student views of online instruction in higher education courses. Data were collected from 199 online students using a Web-based instrument. The instrument consisted of items that were expected to be associated with effective online teaching. One overall effective teaching item was regressed onto twenty-five items in order to identify a core group of items that related most strongly with effective teaching. Seven items emerged as the core group: adapting to student needs, using meaningful examples, motivating students to do their best, facilitating the course effectively, delivering a valuable course, communicating effectively, and showing concern for student learning. These seven items explained 86.2% of the variability in effective teaching and provided one definition of effective online teaching. In open-ended comments, the students wrote that effective teachers are visibly and actively involved in the learning, work hard to establish trusting relationships, and provide a structured, yet flexible classroom environment.