Date

1-8-2009

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Clarence C Holland

Primary Subject Area

Education, Curriculum and Instruction; Education, Secondary; Education, Technology

Keywords

Distance Learning, High School, Hybrid, Online, Secondary Education, Survey Development

Abstract

This dissertation describes an exploratory study to develop a survey that assesses high school students' attitudes towards various modes of online course delivery. The primary focus of the study was the development of a survey that could be used to determine these preferences with a target population of high school juniors. A panel of experts in the fields of online education and adolescent psychology examined the survey and provided feedback during its development. Reliability was established with a Cronbach's alpha. Validity was assessed through an exploratory factor analysis. Two factors emerged, focusing on interaction and student learning. The predicted online course structure rankings were validated with a Pearson product-moment correlation. The survey was found to be reliable and valid, and the course structure rankings were internally consistent. Survey results indicated a preference for hybrid courses with face-to-face instruction. Suggestions for further research are also included.

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