Limitations
There were a few limitations in this study. The survey was distributed to current and former online students from the past three years. During this timeframe, there could have been improvements to the learning management system, which may have impacted the learning experiences of current students as compared to those who enrolled in prior years. Additionally, training and coaching provided for faculty who teach online courses may have been different from one discipline to another, which in turn may have influenced the nature of the experiences and responses given by participants. Furthermore, those who took online courses two or three years ago may not have an accurate recollection of the challenges and learning experiences that they have had in online classrooms. Another limitation in this study was the length of the survey instrument. As the intention was to gather as much information as feasible about the learning experiences of online students, the response rates went down as questions progressed. The survey may have also been distributed to students who were on-campus students, but have occasionally enrolled in online courses, so their experiences may not be reflective of those who enroll primarily in online courses. Finally, the survey was administrated at a private non-profit university, so results may be different at a public or for-profit institution.