dc.contributor.author	KIng, Amanda J.
dc.date.accessioned	2017-07-29T16:30:45Z
dc.date.available	2017-07-29T16:30:45Z
dc.date.issued	2017-07
dc.identifier.other	67389329-799F-0289-46B9-BFB911D43933	UUID
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10428/2876
dc.description.abstract	Exploring adult learners’ expectations of ideal course environments is important because the social climate of learning environments influences learners’ satisfaction (Beer & Darkenwald, 1989). The Adult Classroom Environment Scale was employed in this study, specifically the task orientation, teacher support, and student influence dimensions (Darkenwald & Valentine, 1986) based on Murphy and Cifuentes’ (2001) assertion that such variables contribute to a sense of community within a course. The purpose of this study was to provide faculty and administrators at a comprehensive university in south Georgia with insights into their adult learners’ expectations of the social climate of ideal online course environments, which may aid in sustaining a sense of belonging within the course environment. No significant differences were found between means of ideal face-to-face and online course environment ratings or between adult learners’ expectations of ideal online course environments based on age. Female adult learners had significantly higher ratings for task orientation and teacher support in ideal online course environments than male adult learners did, but no significant differences were reported for student influence. White adult learners reported significantly higher ratings for teacher support in ideal online course environments than Black or African American adult learners; however, no significant differences were noted for task orientation or student influence. Participant ratings for similar expectations provide feedback about which elements these diverse adult learners universally expect in online course environments, and as such, instructors can plan to maintain consistent methods for elements where no significant differences were noted and focus attention on varying other aspects based on differing student expectations.	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 \| Theoretical Framework 3 \| Statement of the Problem 5 \| Purpose of the Study 7 \| Definition of Terms 9 \| Research Questions 10 \| Methodology 11 \| Significance of the Study 12 \| Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 14 \| Introduction 14 \| Development of the Adult Classroom Environment Scale 14 \| Uses of the Adult Classroom Environment Scale 17 \| ACES Dimensions for Sustaining Learning Communities 23 \| Task Orientation 24 \| Teacher Support 25 \| Student Influence 26 \| Persistence Overall and Online Course Environments 27 \| Demographics Related to the ACES and Persistence 33 \| Age 33 \| Gender 35 \| Race/Ethnicity 36 \| Summary 37 \| Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 39 \| Research Questions 39 \| Population and Sample 40 \| Participant Selection 41 \| Instrumentation 42 \| Reliability 44 \| Validity 44 \| Online Version of the Instrument 45 \| Research Design 45 \| Variables 47 \| Data Collection 48 \| Approvals and Protection of Human Subjects 50 \| Data Analysis 51 \| Limitations and Assumptions 52 \| Chapter IV: RESULTS 54 \| Research Question 1 54 \| Research Question 2 55 \| Chapter V: CONCLUSIONS 59 \| Overview 59 \| Research Question 1 62 \| Research Question 2 62 \| Discussions and Implications 63 \| \|Recommendations for Future Research 69 \| Conclusion 71 \| REFERENCES 74 \| APPENDIX A: Institutional Review Board Exemption 84 \| APPENDIX B: Participant Marketing E-mail 86 \| APPENDIX C: Adult Classroom Environment Scale Scoring 89 \| APPENDIX D: Adult Classroom Environment Scale in this Study 92 \| APPENDIX E: Permission to Use the Adult Classroom Environment Scale 106 \|	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.subject	Adult learning	en_US
dc.subject	Adult Classroom Environment Scale	en_US
dc.subject	Distance education	en_US
dc.title	Adult Learners' Expectations of Ideal Course Environments Based on the Adult Classroom Environment Scale	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Wiley, Ellen W.
dc.description.committee	Wiley, Larry P.
dc.description.committee	Hsiao, E-Ling
dc.description.degree	Ed.D.	en_US
dc.description.major	Education	en_US