Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors affecting student satisfaction with an online master’s degree in agriculture and life sciences. Purposively selected program graduates (n=8) provided in-depth interviews utilized by the researchers to understand student motivation, perception of their educational experience, factors affecting satisfaction and provide recommendations for improvement. Primary themes that emerged were related to technology, instructional design, coursework, teaching and learning, student support and recommendations for improvement. These themes were utilized to frame the results and offer recommendations to improve the teaching and learning process. Based on the results, recommendations include: (1) develop a marketing plan that includes an online presence and targeted information to industry groups and professional associations; (2) provide orientation sessions for online graduate students; (3) utilize multiple delivery methods to accommodate learning styles; (4) provide technical assistance in course development; (5) review course materials periodically; and (6) design experiences that promote faculty-to-student and student-to-student engagement. This study provided an opportunity to assess the teaching and learning process using student perceptions and experiences. The information is being utilized to improve an online master’s degree program and should be considered when designing future online degree programs in Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
 13 Burbuagh_NACTA Journal.pdf | [ ] | 253 kB |
