Learning Strategies for Success
Academic Paper in APA Format
You and Claudia are nearing the end of your journey in this course, and it is time to put those newly acquired skills to work. For this paper, you will be required to create an academic paper in APA format, demonstrating reflective thinking. Click
here
(See Attached) to access the essay template for this assignment.
The elements below should be included in the essay.
- Include an APA-formatted title page (refer to the essay template).
- Include an introduction. The introduction to your paper should be one paragraph that states the overarching concept for your paper. The introduction is the first paragraph of the paper in which you will introduce readers to the three main topics in your paper: career goals, learning strategies for success, and time management. (This section should be a minimum of 50 words.)
- Describe your career goals. What were your career goals when you first began this course? How have they changed? What future courses will you take that will help you reach your goals? What role will mentors play in your quest? (This section should be a minimum of 150 words.)
Make sure that you list the courses from your Degree Advisement Plan (DAP) and how they will assist your future career goals.
- Identify your learning style. What is your learning style? How can awareness in this area impact your behaviors as a student? What can you do to improve? How can your family help support your study habits? (This section should be a minimum of 150 words.)
Include a paraphrased statement from your course textbook and/or a peer-reviewed article from the CSU Online Library to support your learning style and study methods. Make certain to include in-text citations.
Remember to place the reference (for the textbook and/or the peer-reviewed research article) in APA style on the references page. - Identify your time management techniques. When you first began this course, how well did you manage your time? What consumes most of your time on a daily basis now? Can adjustments be made in this area? What new strategies will you begin to incorporate in your educational experiences as well as your work and home environments to best balance all of your obligations? (This section should be a minimum of 150 words.)
- Provide a conclusion. The last paragraph should summarize the body of your paper. It should reflect back to the introduction and briefly state how you will approach career goals, time management, and study methods. (This section should be at least 50 words.)
- Include a references page.
On a separate page, list the reference(s) for your paper. You must use a minimum of one reference, which can be your textbook.
The heading “References” (or “Reference” if only one source is used) should be centered at the top of the page.
The references should be formatted according to the type of source. In other words, a book is formatted in a certain way, and an article is formatted in another way.
List the references in alphabetical order according to the first author’s last name. Apply double-spacing.
Each reference should be formatted with a hanging indentation.
Your paper must be a minimum of two pages in length. Make certain to double space, use 12-point Times New Roman font, and use one-inch margins for your paper.
Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER 1
TITLE OF YOUR PAPER 2
Title of Paper
Your Name
Columbia Southern University
Title of Your Paper
The introduction to your paper should be one paragraph, stating the overarching concept for your paper. The introduction is the first paragraph of the paper. In this paragraph, introduce readers to the three main topics in your paper: career goals, learning strategies for success, and time management. You will expand on these three topics in the sections below. (This section should be a minimum of 50 words.)
Career Goals
What were your career goals when you first began this course? How have they changed? What future courses will you take that will help you reach your goals? What role will mentors play in your quest? Make sure that you list the courses from your Degree Action Plan (DAP) and how they will assist your future career goals. (This section should be a minimum of 150 words.)
Learning Strategies for Success
What is your learning style? How can awareness in this area impact your behaviors as a student? What can you do to improve? How can your family help support your study habits? (This section should be a minimum of 150 words.)
Include a paraphrased statement from your course textbook and/or a peer-reviewed research article from the CSU Online Library to support your learning style and study methods along with an in-text citation.
Remember to place the reference citation (for the textbook and/or the peer-reviewed research article) in APA style on the References page.
Time Management
When you first began this course, how well did you manage your time? What consumes most of your time on a daily basis now? Can adjustments be made in this area? What new strategies will you begin to incorporate in your educational experiences as well as your work and home environments to best balance all of your obligations? (This section should be a minimum of 150 words.)
The last paragraph summarizes the body of your paper. It should reflect back to the introduction and briefly state how you will approach career goals, time management, and study methods. (This section should be a minimum of 50 words.)
Reference(s)
Harrington, C. (2019). Student success in college: Doing what works! (3rd ed.). Boston: MA: Cengage Learning.
LEARNING STRA TEGIES FOR SUCCES
S
INA WEB-BASED COURS
E
A Descriptive Exploration
Haihong H
u
University of North Elorida
Jennifer Gramling
Florida State University
Web-based distance instruction has become a popular del ¡very method for education. How are leaming strat-
egies helping make the connection between Web-based technologies and educational goals? The purpose of
tbis study was to examine leamers” use of self-regulated learning strategies in a Web-based course. Twelve
students from an information studies online course participated in a semislructured survey abiiut their leaming
strategies. The contení analysis oftbe survey responses revealed tbat self-regulated leaming strategies in tra-
ditional siUiations could be identified in students’ online leaming. Participants’ responses also indicated tha
t
they considered goal-sening/lime- or etïbn-management and cognitive strategies the most helpful ones for
them to perform successfully in the course. This article may offer insights to instructors and designers of the
distance leaming environment, and also provide suggestions for future research.
In Web-based distance education courses,
individuals are able to participate at their con-
venience with little to no supervision. The
learner control inherent in these courses is usu-
ally considered a positive feature to enhance
motivation (Reeves, 1993). However, research
has shown that leamer control is associate
d
with a number of negative outcomes, such as
less time spent on task and the use of poor
learning strategies (Brown, 2001; Williams,
1993). Another factor, learners’ self-regula-
tion, is a powerful predictor for their academi
c
achievement (Ley & Young, 1998; Pintrich &
Groot. 1990), and it also has a positive effect
on leamers’ motivation (Kitsantas, Reiser, &
Doster, 2003; Lan, 1996; Schunk, 1996; Zim-
merman & Kitsantas, 1996). New leaming
environments, such as Web-based instruction,
require proactive and active ieaming to con-
stmct knowledge and skills. Schunk & Zim-
merman (1998) mentioned distance education
as an area that lends itself well to self-regula-
tion. They claimed that “self-regulation seems
critical due to the high degree of student inde-
pendence deriving from the instructor’s physi-
cal absence” (p. 231). Therefore, a number of
• Haihong Hu, Department of Leadership. Counseling, and Instructional Technology, College of Education and Human
Services, University of North Florida, Jacksonville. FL 32224. E-mail: baihong70rayahoo.com
The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, Volume 10(2). 2009, pp. 123-134 ISSN 1528-3518
Copyright € 2009 Infomiation Age Publishing, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
124 The Quarterly Review of Distance Education Vol. 10, No. 2, 2009
researchers (Keller. 1999; McMahon & Oliver,
2001; Zimmerman, 2000) have proposed uti-
lizing self-regulatory strategies to promote
online learners’ motivation and understanding.
Studies that address the use of se If-regulated
learning strategies in Web-based courses,
however, are limited (Whipp & Chiarelli,
2004). The present study was designed to pre-
liminarily explore learners’ use of self-regu-
lated leaming strategies in an online
environment.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Self-Regulated Learning (SRL)
Over the last decade, leamers’ self-regula-
tion of their cognition, motivation, and behav-
iors to promote academic achievement has
been a topic of increasing interest in the field
of education (Bandura, 1986; Schunk, 1996
;
Zimmemian, 1990, 1998). Driscoll (2000)
refers to se If-regulation as skills that leamers
use to “set their own goals and manage their
own leaming and performance” (p. 304). Zim-
memian (1990) defines self-regulated leaming
with three distinctive features: learners” appli-
cation of self-regulated leaming strategies,
their sensitivity to self-evaluative feedback
about leaming effectiveness, and their self-
generated motivational processes. Researchers
found that leamers who reported more exten-
sive use of SRL strategies demonstrated higher
academic achievement (Lan, 1996; Schunk,
1982, 1996; Schunk & Swartz, 1993; Zimmer-
man & Kitsantas, 1996; Zimmerman & Marti-
nez-Pons, 1986), more positive motivation
(Schunk, 1982, 1996; Schunk & Ertmer. 1999;
Schunk & Swartz. 1993; Zimmerman & Kit-
santas, 1996, 1999). and greater persistence
(Lan. 1996) than leamers who used the similar
strategies less often.
Erom a social-cognitive point of view, self-
regulatory processes and beliefs consist of
three cyclical phases: forethought, perfor-
mance or volitional control, and self-reflection
(Zimmerman, 1998, 2000). According to Zim-
merman, the forethought phase happens before
efforts to learn, and sets the stage (goals and
plans) for leaming. Performance or volitional
control processes occur during leaming
efforts, and concerns concentration and perfor-
mance monitoring. Self-reflection processes
take place after leaming efforts. The results
from self-reflection or evaluation affect learn-
ers’ reactions to that experience. As a result,
these self-reactions complete the self-regula-
tory cycle by influencing forethought of subse-
quent leaming efforts.
From a general expectance-value perspec-
tive, self-regulated leaming involves both the
“will” and the “skill” (Pintrich & Schrauben,
1992). The “skill” component of the general
expectancy-value model of SRL consists of
three major categories of strategies, including:
metacognitive strategies (planning, goal set-
ting, monitoring and seif-evaiuation), cogni-
tive strategies for leaming and comprehending
the materials (rehearsal, elaboration and orga-
nization), and resource-management strategies
(help seeking, environmental management
strategies and time management). Further-
more, the “will” or the various motivational
aspects, including self-efTicacy and goal orien-
tation, are believed to facilitate and influence
the use of these cognitive, resource-manage-
ment, and metacognitive strategies.
Every leamer is self-regulated to some
degree in his or her académie leaming, but
there are remarkable differences among stu-
dents (Zimmerman, 1998). Systematic use of
metacognitive, motivational, cognitive strate-
gies is a key feature of most self-regulated
leamers. Therefore, students’ level of self-reg-
ulation may eventually decide whether their
leaming experiences will become frustrating
or fulfilling.
Self-Regulation in Web-Based
Distance Education
Web-based courses can be accessed by any
eligible individual from any location, and
asynchronous course components are available
24 hours a day, at the learner’s convenience.
Web-based distance instruction has become a
‘
1
Learning Strategies for Success in a Web-Ba’ied Course
popular delivery method for education because
of these features. Se If-regulation, however, is
essential for distance education students’ suc-
cess. Students are held more accountable for
their own learning. Furthermore, they must
cultivate the self-discipline to access the
course communication tools on a regular basis
to avoid falling behind with assignments
(Simonson, Smaldino. Albright, & Zvacek,
2000).
One of the major problems existing in Web-
based distance education is a high attrition rate
(Zielinski. 2000). Various studies have
reported such factors as lack of time and envi-
ronment management skills (Kember, Mur-
phy. Siaw, & Yuen, 1991 ; Osborn, 2001), low
self-motivation (Osborn, 2001; Parker, 2003).
lack of cognitive learning strategies (Chyung,
2001; Kember et al., 1991), discomfort with
individual learning (Ejortoft, 1995), and low
learner self-efficacy on using the technology
for distance education program (Chyung,
2001; Osbom, 2001) are causing students t
o
drop out of distance programs.
Several researchers have studied the influ-
ence of se If-regulatory behaviors on learning
in the online mode, hut most of these studies
focused on identifying se if-regulatory strate-
gies as predictors for achievement. King.
Hamer, and Brown (2000) conducted a study
to measure students’ perceptions concerning
the effect of technology and student self-regu-
latory skills in two distance education courses.
A factor analysis of the data indicated that two
constructs attributed to online learning success
were study skills and goal setting. Eom (1999)
identified SRL strategies that learners already
possess were related to the effectiveness of
learning in a computer-networked hypertext/
hypermedia environment. His results demon-
strated that metacognitive and motivational
strategies significantly infiuenced the predic-
tion of achievement, while cognitive and self-
management strategies did not exhibit signifi-
cant effects. However, these studies assume
that participants in distance education employ
the same SRL strategies for traditional instruc-
tion in their learning. Very few studies have
125
explored which SRL strategies are used in
Web-based courses to address the unique chal-
lenges of the online learning environment
(Whipp & Chiarelli, 2004).
Research Questions
With the proliferation of distance educa-
tion, more and more leamers are taking online
courses. A reasonable question to ask is how
do students study in these online courses’? Do
online students who are working indepen-
dently employ any learning strategies to help
achieve learning outcomes? Can our existing
understanding about SRL be applied to this
new learning environment? This study was
designed to use our current knowledge about
SRL as a basis for exploring answers to these
general questions and to identify issues that
might warrant further investigation. This study
combined Zimmerman”s (1998, 2000) social
cognitive model, which outlines the key sub-
processes for SRL, and Pintrich’s (1995) gen-
eral expectancy-value model of SRL, which
offers a closer examination of each specific
category of strategies utilized in the processes,
as a theoretical framework. With regard to this
theoretical framework, this study used the fol-
lowing research questions to guide the investi-
gation.
1. What SRL strategies do students use in a
Web-based course?
2. What strategies do students think are the
most helpful to their success in a Web-
based course?
METHOD
Participants
This pilot study took place at a large South-
eastern university in the U.S. during the sum-
mer semester 2005. Participants were 12
volunteer students enrolled in an online Tech-
nologies for Information Services course for
information studies majors. These volunteers
126 The Quarterly Review of Distance liducalioti Vol. ID. No. 2.
had an average age of 24.58 years. Six of them
were seniors, 5 were juniors, and 1 was a soph-
omore. Eight were females and 4 were males.
Five were African Americans, 1 was Asian
American, 3 were Caucasians, 2 were Hispan-
ics, and 1 was from another ethnic back-
ground. These participants had an average
GPA of 2.89 and an average registration for 9
credit hours. They spent an average of 4.38
hours weekly studying for this course, while
they also worked 20-30 hours per week. Five
of these volunteers had family responsibilities
that affected their time for studying in this
course. Eleven of the participants thought they
were competent with PC and Macintosh, 11
with Internet, 12 with e-mail, 8 with asynchro-
nous discussion, and 7 with synchronous dis-
cussion. Seven of these volunteers had never
taken online courses before, three had taken 1,
one had taken 2, and one had taken 4.
Context
The Technologies for Information Services
course focused on the application of computer
hardware, software, and information systems
for the provision of information services. The
course content included recent technical devel-
opments with examples of real-world software
applications. It also examined the principles by
which computer systems and their networks
support information seekers. It used a textbook
entitled Using Information Technology: A
Practical Introduction to Computers & Com-
munications (Williams & Sawyer, 2001). Stu-
dents’ grades were determined by participation
(10%), 11 weekly activity reports (50%), a
project resource list (10%) and a final project
(30%). Participation scores consisted mainly
of synchronous weekly discussions on relevant
topics, and weekly asynchronous class activi-
ties. These activities included reading the text-
book and supplementary materials, viewing
PowerPoint lectures posted in course Web site,
and completing the activity reports and proj-
ects.
By the end of the semester, students were
supposed to be able to explain the essential
concepts and components of current informa-
tion technology systems, including operating
systems, user interfaces, hardware, and com-
munications, and extend them to emerging
contexts. Furthermore, they were expected to
summarize the history, evolution, and charac-
teristics of information technology. They were
also required to describe the basics of network
topology as well as the primary uses of net-
works and networking within the context of
information provision.
Data Collection and Analysis
This descriptive study used qualitative
methods to examine students” use of self-regu-
lated learning in a Web-based course. A small
group of students were selected as participants.
An online survey with 13 open-ended ques-
tions was created using informal interviews
with 5 faculty and 5 online students to discuss
the general features of Web-based courses and
to explore students leaming strategies, plus
information obtained from a review of litera-
ture on the cyclical process of learning (Zim-
merman, 1998, 2000). This study was
conducted as a pilot test to test the validity of
the instrument and the feasibility of the
research process.
Through the use of the online questionnaire,
panicipants were asked to describe their goals
in the course, their plan(s) for reaching their
goals, how they usually completed assign-
ments, how they read textbook and online
materials, their obstacles and how they over-
came them, their distractions and how they
dealt with them, how they arranged time for
studying, how they verified their understand-
ing and progress in the course, and what strat-
egies they deemed most helpful. Participants’
answers to the online open-ended survey ques-
tions were the primary data source. Course syl-
labus, assignment descriptions, and student
Web pages were used to contextualize the
researchers’ understanding of participants”
answers to online survey questions. The sur-
vey was conducted 4 weeks after the semester
began, and participants had 7 days to complete
Learning Strategies for Succe,ss in a Web-Based Course 127
the survey, which was accessible to partici-
pants through a Web link in an e-mail sent by
the fust author.
Participants’ responses to questions were
transcribed and the texts coded and analyzed
using Q. S. R. NVIVO software. To examine
participants’ answers lo survey questions, the
researchers followed the guidelines for qualita-
tive content analysis (Chi, 1997), using an
inductive constant comparative method (Gla-
ser & Strauss, 1967) because the purpose of
the study is to understand the strategies used
during a learning process. The first author read
participants’ answers to survey questions sev-
eral times and highlighted comment units or
references (i.e., word(s). phrase(s) or sen-
tence(s)) (hat described a type ofleaming strat-
egy (open-coding) to capture main ideas,
themes. Then, she began with a search for pat-
terns within the data on each of the partici-
pants, and then across all participants (axial
coding) to portray relationships. Finally, she
summarized the leaming strategies used in the
process with the patterns found across all par-
licipants. Using Zimmerman’s (1998, 2000)
social cognitive and Pintrich’s (1995) general
expectancy-value models of SRL, a coding
scheme was created based on (he responses (o
survey questions. The first author and a (rained
coder tested in parallel the coding scheme on a
sampling of participants’ responses and then
refined it and applied it (o all the responses
from all participants. Refer (o Table 1 for a
final version oflhe coding scheme.
To determine the inter-rater reliability for
the coding scheme, an independent coder was
trained to use the coding systems, and compar-
isons were made between coding of the survey
responses made by the independent coder and
the first author. The inter-ra(er reliability for
the coding scheme was found to be about 90%.
Each survey response was (hen coded indepen-
dendy by (he first author and the trained coder
using the coding scheme (hat included defini-
tion and example of each strategy to compare
to (he exact words in the responses. The first
author and the trained coder resolved all dis-
agreements on the references through further
reading of the raw data and discussion. After
all answers to survey questions were coded,
the data from individual participants were
examined by coding category. Next, the data
were examined across patticipants by coding
category.
In this study, a member checking was con-
ducted by inviiing a participant in the s(udy (o
verify (he accuracy of (he findings and appro-
priateness of discussion. The participant con-
sidered (he study procedures were described in
sufficient de(ails and (he results were clearly
reported, especially the quotes helped validate
and reinforce the points.
RESULTS
Strategies Reported by Participants
In (heir answers to the open-ended ques-
tionnaire, participants mainly reported using
all three categories (me(acogni(ive, cognitive,
and resource management) of strategies
included by Pintrich (1995) in the “skill” com-
ponent of SRL. This content analysis of the
data indicated (hat par(icipants in (his study not
only employed some strategies (hat successful
students use in traditional leaming environ-
ments, but also revised their SRL strategies
(Whipp & Chiarelli, 2004) to adapt to (heir
Web-based course se(ting. Results derived
from the analysis of s(ra(egies are shown in
Table 1.
Metacognitive Strategies
Wi(hin the category of metacognitive s(ra(-
egies, participants reported using goal setting
(9 references), strategic planning (9 refer-
ences), se If-monitoring (30 references) and
self-evaluation (8 references).
Self-monitoring was (he most Irequendy
repor(ed (30 references) s(rategy within the
metacognitive category. Participants took
some measures (o moni(or their learning pro-
cess, which was dependant on tlie s(abili(y of
12fi The Quarteriy Review of Distance Education Vol. 10. No. 2, 2009
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Learning Strategies for Success in a Web-Based Course 129
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130 The Quarterly Review of Distance Education Vol. 10. No. 2. 20(W
the technologies, as well as their own compre-
hension of the materials
ln regard to self-evakiation/reflection. par-
ticipants reported on their perceived criteria
for evaluation, which is unique to online
courses, and their actual strategies to evaluate
performance, which were also modified to suit
the online learning environment. As a result,
participants believed their success was based
on the teacher”s standards and their perfor-
mance in a group as a whole, as exemplified by
the following responses: “The approach
mostly depends on the teacher and the way he/
she likes the assignments to be presented.” and
•’1 work pretty well on group assignments
depending on the members in the group. If
they are focused then I can work great, if not
then there will be some issues.”
Cognitive Strategies
in this study, cognitive strategies were the
most frequently ( ] 2 cases, 60 references)
reported by participants in all the responses to
survey questions.
Most of the cognitive strategies reported
were similar to the ones students generally use
for traditional instruction. Overall, the most
frequently used strategies were rereading (16
references), note-taking (11 references) and
visualizing (7 references), and 7 participants
gave 10 references about using the audio por-
tion of their lecture in various situations for
study.
Generally speaking, most participants were
using less complex cognitive strategies,
mainly rehearsal strategies (11 cases, 46 refer-
ences) (e.g., rereading), while fewer partici-
pants used more advanced organization (7
cases, 7 references) (e.g., fiash cards) and elab-
oration strategies (5 cases. 7 references) (e.g.,
visualizing).
Resource Management Strategies
The resource management strategies
reported by participants included time man-
agement (16 references), effort regulation (11
references), environment management (13 ref-
erences), and help seeking (22 references).
Help seeking strategies was the most fre-
quently (22 references) reported in this cate-
gory. Overall, the most frequently used
strategies were using the Internet (7 refer-
ences), informing/asking a teacher, TA or tutor
(6 references), and referring to other sources
(e.g. family, friends) (4 references). Only one
participant gave 2 references about an online-
specific help-seeking strategy, using course
discussion boards/peers to understand difftcult
contents.
Not being able to locate a textbook (3 cases)
at a local bookstore caused some anxiety in
this class, but positive help seeking helped
ease learners’ anxiety. The following e.xcerpt
demonstrates participants’ employment of
help-seeking strategies in this online environ-
ment.
P7: The only confusion and I would not say
obstacle is when I could not find the text
book assigned in neither of the book-
stores in town, but once I contacted the
TA 1 was able to acquire the book in no
time.
Perceived Most Helpful Strategies
Generally, participants reported two broad
categories of strategies: cognitive strategies (7
cases, 7 references) and goal setting/effort con-
trol/time management (5 cases, 5 references),
as their perceived most helpful strategies.
Most of the goal setting strategies reported
were adopted from the features of this Web-
based distance learning course, but not many
references for this type of strategies were
refiected in participants’ responses. Within the
9 references made by 5 participants, they
mainly reported using discussion board ques-
tions (4 references) and assignments (3 refer-
ences) as immediate goals to complete course
tasks and to find the focus for their work.
Additionally, they coordinated online and
offline coursework on the basis of these imme-
diate goals.
Learning Strategies for Success in a Web-Based Course 131
The data suggest that getting assignments
done on time or ahead of the schedule was cru-
cial to the participants in this online course.
The value of completing tasks on time and
keeping up with coursework was conveyed by
one participant: “The goals I’m working for in
this course is to become more familiar with IT
tools. The plan I choosing to achieve this goal
is to stay on top of things and study.”
Participants arranged their time for study
around their working schedule. Among the 8
participants who worked more than 20 hours
per week. 1 planned to study during the day, 4
planned to study during the night, and 2 gave
indefmite answers. Five participants specifi-
cally designated different time for different
types (online or offline) of coursework.
Examining the fmal grades of the 6 partici-
pants who worked more than 31 hours weekly,
3 received B’s, and 2 received C*s and I
received a D. The two participants who
received C’s provided indefinite answers to
questions about time management strategies,
while the two participants who received the
highest scores (88 in a class average of 80.7)
were also within this working-hour category,
but expressed definite plans for time manage-
ment. The contrast In their time management
was illustrated with the following responses:
PI: Well I am never really offline, even
when I am doing my course work I check
the discussion and email regularly.
Therefore I do not have a time of day or
days of week were I usually do online/
offlie [sic] work. (Received a 79.4 for
course score).
P7:1 do my offline coursework in the mom-
ing (3am) hours because I work better in
the morning than in the evenings. My
online coursework I do throughout the
day—whenever 1 get at least two hours
of break. (Received an 88 for course
score)
Family responsibilities (e.g., small children)
can cause obstacles in online courses because
many distance learners study at home and need
to take care of family. In this study, 5 (42%) of
the 12 panicipants reported having family
responsibilities that affected their time for
studying for this course. Three of these 5 par-
ticipants had definite plans for time manage-
ment and received well above average scores
(83, 88, 88 in a class average of 80.7). These
following excerpts describe how one of these
participants utilized time and environment
management and effort regulation strategies to
overcome difficulties and to accomplish leam-
ing outcomes (a final score of 83).
Q: Do you expect to meet any obstacles in
the course? What are they? When faced
with obstacles in the course, what will
I you do to overcome these obstacles?
A: I tend to meet obstacles in all my courses
with two small children. For instances,
this past weekend my son and myself
have been sick which makes it hard to
keep on track. To compensate for my
time lost studying I will have to stay up
late a couple of nights this week to catch
up.
Q: What time of day and day(s) of the week
do you usually do your offline course-
work? Why? What time of day and
day(s) of the week do you usually do
‘ your online coursework? Why?
A; I usually am working on something daily
or at least I try to. I usually work on it in
the morning at the library three times a
week because I don’t have my kids then.
I also work on it in the evening when my
kids are sleeping.
I
DISCUSSION
Based on the findings from this study, the fol-
lowing section proposes implications for Web-
based course instructors and designers, and
suggestions for future research.
132 The Quanerly Review of Distance Education Vol. 10, No. 2, 2009
Goal-setting/effort control/time manage-
ment is a combined category of s(rategies per-
ceived by participants as the mos( helpful
strategies in online leaming. This finding is
consis(en( w Í(h (hose of several other studies
(Azevedo, Guthrie, & Seiber(, 2004; Hill &
Hannafin, 1997; Loomis. 2000) about leaming
strategies in online environments, including
the finding from a quanti(a(ive s(udy (Loomis,
2000) 0^ the strong correla(ion between time
management skills and fmal grades in an
online course. From the data in this study, we
also found that many online participants were
working for pay while taking courses. It
seemed that the more a participant works, the
more likely he or she would (ry (o complete
coursework during the night or at a previously
unplanned time. However, it was also discov-
ered (ha( working full time itself might not
affect s(uden(s’ performance. Instructors in a
distance educa(ion environment might need to
communicate deadlines and due dates clearly,
emphasize the use of (ime-managemen(, effort
regulation and goal-setting strategies, espe-
cially to students who are working full-(Íme or
who have family responsibilities.
Cognitive strategies were repor(ed by par-
ticipants as another category of (heir mos(
helpful strategies. Overall, cognitive strategies
were the most frequently reported by partici-
pants in all the responses and reading and rep-
etition was reported by 25% of the
participants. These findings are very similar to
wha( Whipp and Chiarelli (2004) found about
(heir participants in a Web-based course in that
mos( participants were using less complex
cognitive strategies, essentially rehearsal strat-
egies, while fewer participants used more
advanced organization and elaboration strate-
gies. Instructors might encourage students to
use more sophisticated strategies, such as
organization (e.g., concep( mapping and out-
lining) and elaboration (e.g., using mnemon-
ics, summarizing and reciprocal teaching) for
deeper processing of information (Holer, Yu,
& Pimrich, 1998). Recommendations can also
be made for more online-specific cogni(ive
strategies, such as reading while listening to
(he lecture, copying online materials into a (ext
editor and rewriting into personal notes, and
replaying the lecture, to be more adapted (o the
distance education environment.
In this study, (he most frequently reponed
help seeking strategies were using the In(eme(
and informing/asking a (eacher. TA or tutor.
However, only one participant mentioned an
online-specific help seeking stra(egy, using
course discussion boards/peers to understand
difficuU contem. This finding is similar to
what Zariski & Styles (2000) Ibund from their
interview wi(h 16 law students. They found
even though (hese s(uden(s in two online
courses used help seeking to deal with techni-
cal problems more extensively than (heir coun-
terparts in more traditional educational
con(ex(s, there was only very limited use of
options (e.g., Unit Guide, the Chat Room, Help
button, etc.) available in the course site for
help seeking. Instructors may need to provide
guidelines on help seeking in cyberspace since
some of the leamers are not very familiar with
(his leaming environmen(. Instructors might
want (o encourage online leamers (o u(ilize
discussion boards more ac(ively, by set(ing up
a forum named Online Office or S(udent
Lounge, for help seeking and critical dis-
course.
There are many limitations to this pilo(
study. The research design could be improved
by administering a well-structured question-
naire with objective items, followed up by a
phone interview or focus group, across several
courses later in (he semester. Experimental
studies on a large scale are needed to verify
some of the speculations from (his study about
SRL strategies in distance education, namely,
the relationship between work load, time man-
agement and achievemen(, (he social aspects
(e.g., peer leaming. help seeking, class discus-
sions) in online leaming (Whipp & Chiarelli,
2004), and the in(errelated self-regulation and
co-regulation, such as in group projects, (hat
might happen within (he leamer popula(ions.
Acknowledgment: Many (hanks (o the
instnac(or, Alan S(romberg, and the students of
Leaming Strategies for Success in a Web-Based Course 133
this LIS 3353 course, who kindly volunteered
lo participate in the study, for their coopera-
tion in making this study possible. We also
thank Luisa Piéger lor helping us with verify-
ing the results.
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