This document summarizes research on online students' expectations of interaction and locus of instructional control. A survey of 63 online students found that meeting students' expectations for communication had the largest impact on satisfaction and learning. Students expected to share control with instructors more than they experienced. Those who experienced shared control reported better processes and outcomes. The researchers recommend future studies investigate comprehensive models of online learning that include expectations and locus of control, using longitudinal designs and structural equation modeling.

1. Online Students’ Expectations of Interaction
and Locus of Instructional Control:
Enhancing Learning in the Virtual Classroom
Joan Van Tassel
Joseph Schmitz
Faculty Scholarship Conference 2012
National University
This research was supported by National University
Presidential Scholar Award.
We thank Scott Campbell for help with survey design and data collection.

2. Literature
…the current literature tends to separate the experiences
and practices of academics from those of students within
teaching–learning processes. This has meant that this
research does not support an examination of the dynamic
and shifting aspects of teaching–learning interactions in
higher education.
- Paul Ashwin, 2009
Analyzing teacher-learning
interactions in higher education:
Accounting for structure and agency.
(p. 7)

3. Literature Domains
• Nontraditional students
• Online learning
considerations
• Interaction expectations
– Importance of
expectations met
• Locus of instructional
control

4. Theoretical Model

5. Research Questions
• Research Question 1: How do students’ age, gender, and
life situations impact their communication, interaction
expectations and experiences, course interaction
satisfaction, and learning in online courses?
• Research Question 2: How do students’ perceptions of
locus of instructional control expectations and
subsequent course experiences impact course
interaction processes and student learning?
• Research Question 3: Which communication factors
most influence students’ course interaction satisfaction
and overall student learning?

7. Methods
• Online survey to active online students
• Sent to 28 classes
• Anonymous respondents
• Communication interaction expectations (4)
• Communication interaction behaviors
• Locus of instructional control
• Students’ course interaction satisfaction
• Students’ course learning

8. Results
• 63 respondents
– Roughly half undergrad and
half grad students
– Virtually all nontraditional
students
• Generally satisfied with
interaction & communi-
cation, course learning
• Undergrad students had
interaction expectations met
and rated course processes
and outcomes higher

9. Locus of Instructional Control
• Students expected they
would share locus of
instructional control with
instructors more than they
actually experienced
• Students who experienced
shared locus of control with
instructors reported better
communication-interaction
processes and better course
learning outcomes

10. Predicting interaction satisfaction and student learning
– Overall interaction satisfaction
• 76 % of variance explained by:
– Students’ course experience met their expectations
of communication with:
» Instructors
» instructor guidance,
» course content
» Peer interaction expectations
– Overall student learning
• 57 % of the variance explained by:
– Overall interaction satisfaction
– Shared instructor-student or instructor directed
locus of instructional control
– Met expectations of interaction with course content

12. Broad Take-Away
• Demographic variables played
relatively minor roles in course
interaction and learning.
• Communication between
instructors and students shapes
important course outcomes –
including student learning.
• Meeting student expectations has
(by far) the most effect on
satisfaction with course
instructional processes and
reported learning in the course.

13. Study Strengths and Limitations
– Limitations
• Sample size
• Convenience sample
• Response rates
• Cross-sectional design
– Strengths
• Natural, non-
reactive, representative sample
• Important and powerful
theoretical constructs
– 3 dimensions of course/instructor
interaction
– Students’ expectations met
– Locus of instructional interaction

14. Future Research Designs
• Investigate comprehensive models of online learning
processes that include interaction/communication
expectations and locus of instructional control.
• Increase external and internal validity: Use longitudinal
research designs.
• Increase survey response rates by offering respondents
substantial participation incentives.
• Analyze and model data with structural equation modeling
(SEM) to examine simultaneous causal relationships.

15. Theoretical Implications
• Afford prominence to the
communication and interaction
processes of instructors and
learners.
• Attend to the effects of met (and
unmet) student expectations
upon online learning processes
and course outcomes.
• Locus of instructional control for
nontraditional online students
moderates their
communication, course
interaction satisfaction, and
overall student learning.

16. Practical Implications
• Co-creation of students’ and
instructors’ expectations regarding the
nature, scope, and intensity of
students’ interactions with their
instructors and with the course
content.
• Students’ expectations of interaction
with course content privileges course
design expertise, if material is
grounded in subject matter expertise.
• Stress and redefine the importance of
the instructor’s role. “Guide on the
side” is too laissez-faire and passive to
meet online students’ expectations.

17. Thanks!
• This research was supported by a National
University Presidential Scholar Award
• Thank you for your interest
Please contact Joan Van Tassel for a copy of
this presentation or our manuscript at:
http://www.visualcv.com/joanvt