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.