Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ed.D. Program: Mary Jane Murphy-Bowne, “Designing for Learner Variability in Asynchronous Online Education: A Quasi-Experimental Study on the Impact of UDL-Aligned Scaffolds on Self-Regulated Learning”
As the popularity of online learning has expanded in higher education, this has provided opportunities for a diverse student population. With these opportunities have come challenges both for students with learning differences who opt to learn online and the instructors who attempt to meet their learning needs.
Grounded in the Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of embedded scaffolds in an asynchronous online course intended to support learners and help them to reflect on their learning, guiding them to answers to their questions rather than providing quick answers.
The purpose of this study is to examine differences in online learning barriers and outcomes for an intervention and a control section of an online course. Learning outcomes and course participation will be compared, as well as changes in SRL and student perceptions of the course design. Four research questions guide the study: (1) What is the difference in learning outcomes when implementing scaffolds consistent with UDL considerations that support SRL? (2) How does the diverse population of undergraduate students enrolled in an asynchronous online general studies course describe the inclusion of the scaffolds? (3) What features in previous iterations of this course would benefit from revision to strengthen student SRL? (4) What is the relationship between student demographics and learning behaviors, and their engagement with the scaffolds?
A concurrent nested quasi-experimental design will be utilized for this mixed-methods study. During the design phase of the study, an interview with the course instructor will provide information about how and where the scaffolds should be included in the intervention section of the course. A course questionnaire will be used to collect participant demographics and information on learning differences and attitudes about online learning. A validated measure of SRL will be used as a pre-test, post-test measure for both groups, and course analytics will be used to compare learning behaviors. Qualitative data will be gathered using student reflection logs, comments to an anonymous comment box, general discussion, and focus groups.
By analyzing quantitative and qualitative findings, this study can provide insight into not just the effect of UDL-inspired scaffolds on learning outcomes but also measure student perceptions of the scaffolds. The study may also serve to inspire others to evaluate learning outcomes related to applying UDL guidelines in small sample studies