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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.6

Publication Date: June 25, 2020

DOI:10.14738/assrj.76.8417.

Carver, L. B., & Rivers-Singletary, G. (2020). Students’ Perceptions of Preparation for Online Graduate Course Work. Advances in Social

Sciences Research Journal, 7(6) 389-399.

Students’ Perceptions of Preparation for Online Graduate Course

Work

Lin B. Carver

School of Education and Social Services, Saint Leo University,

Florida, United States;

Georgina Rivers-Singletary

School of Education and Social Services, Saint Leo University,

Florida, United States

ABSTRACT

An anonymous online survey was used to understand participants’

perceptions about their preparation for online coursework. Sixty

students from five graduate programs in education completed a 1-4

Likert scale survey with 20-questions and six open-ended responses.

Quantitative responses from the 20 questions were divided into two

subgroups, those younger than or equal to 40 years of age, and those

over 40 years of age based on Prensky's date for the beginning of the

digital native group. Qualitative data were collected through 6 open- ended questions from the same survey. Data revealed that both

subgroups felt well prepared when registering for online courses.

However, when it came to overall preparedness for using technology,

those over 40 years of age did not view themselves as well prepared as

those younger than 40. Using digital resources outside of the learning

management system presented more significant challenges to the older

subgroup of learners. Two factors impacting graduate students’ online

performance became evident through this study; the impact of

technology experience rather than age and what is meant for a student

to be well-prepared for online course work.

Keywords: Digital Natives; Digital Immigrants; Online Learning; Graduate

Students; Educational Technology.

INTRODUCTION

Online learning has become an essential component in higher education as a result of technological

advances. In the United States, more than 6,000,000 higher education students were enrolled in

distance education coursework during the fall of 2017 [1]. The online venue is particularly

attractive to adult learners because of their many obligations. They need to balance work and family

obligations while still finding time to complete coursework [2]. Higher education classes appeal to

adults of all ages. In graduate education courses, students can range in age from their twenties

through their sixties or beyond. Consequently, colleges and universities have both students born

after 1980 who were raised on technology as well as baby boomers and Gen Xers who may have

had less exposure to technology during their formative years [3].

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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.76.8417 390

Carver, L. B., & Rivers-Singletary, G. (2020). Students’ Perceptions of Preparation for Online Graduate Course Work. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 7(6) 389-399.

Online courses provide the flexibility that appeals to adult learners, but its structure may present

additional challenges for those learners who are less comfortable with technology. Orlando and

Attard [4] warned that “teaching with technology is not a one size fits all approach as it depends on

the types of technology in use at the time and also the curriculum content being taught” (p. 119).

There are additional factors such as equipment type and the approach to content with the

equipment that are important for course designers to consider when choosing appropriate teaching

pedagogy and experiences for students’ knowledge construction in online courses. Despite the

challenges technology can present, it is “often taken for granted that technologies can ‘enhance

learning’” [5] (p. 6) because it is perceived as an important mechanism to increase student

engagement [6]. Various research studies have compared online learning and face-to-face

instruction. For example, Zhao et al. [7] completed a meta-analysis of studies of online learning

conducted since 1998 and found that these studies recorded better student learning outcomes from

online courses than from face-to-face instruction. Zhao et al.’s [7] research posited that increased

options for two-way interaction might be responsible for this online advantage. Similar positive

outcomes were reported by Means et al. [8] in their analysis of 56 studies of online education and

found that learners in online settings significantly outperformed those who received instruction in

face-to-face settings in the use of metacognitive strategies such as self-reflection, self-explanation,

and self-monitoring. Metacognitive strategies are needed by candidates when applying class

concepts in the real-world setting.

PREPARING FOR ONLINE LEARNING

However, not all online learners come to their course work with the same background knowledge

or experiences. Some learners might experience more difficulty embracing the advantages that

online courses offer if their technology skills are not as well developed as those of other learners. In

preparing learners for online coursework, Newman and Dickinson [9] stressed the importance of

ensuring that all learners have a solid technological foundation. They stressed the importance of

using online videos, tutorials, and workshops to help learners understand and manipulate the

technology used in online courses. Newman and Dickinson [9] recommend that all learners should

be required to access these additional resources because it is difficult for learners to identify what

they do not know without them. Therefore, it is crucial that online training is organized, coherent,

and clear [10] in order to help students to persist and succeed in online coursework [11].

Providing technological tools and additional resources is an important consideration, but online

courses developers must also consider the learners’ previous experiences with technology. Most

students 40 years old and older did not use computers during their formative years, so they may

feel less confident about their technological skills due to having fewer experiences with technology

[12]. At the same time, younger learners who may possess and demonstrate proficiency in their

digital skills may lack the knowledge of how to apply these technological skills to enhance their

learning. Because today’s graduate students are very diverse in age, we must consider the

technological differences in skills and perceptions within this group of learners to better meet their

needs.

Prensky [13] proposed the idea of digital natives and digital immigrants by dividing learners into

the two groups. Digital immigrants are individuals born before 1980, while those digital natives are

those born after 1980. Bennett, Maton, and Kervin [14] and Ransdell [15] supported Prensky's

position by positing that the differences between digital natives and digital immigrants had

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 6, June-2020

significant implications for educators. Both sets of researchers indicated that because of their

understanding of the range of digital tools available and ways of processing and using information,

digital natives were better prepared to be successful in online education. Bennett, Maton, and

Kervin [14] found that digital natives interact differently from digital immigrants in the online

environment. Digital natives are known to be able to use and manipulate technology in various

settings (i.e. work, play, home) while digital immigrants tend to use it for a specific purpose,

specifically work, instead of leisure. Underwood [16] further supported Prensky’s views by

identifying a gap or ‘digital disconnect’ between digital natives and digital immigrants. Specifically,

digital divide in this case goes beyond access to technology and connectivity to the actual skills

needed to engage and function in a digital world [16].

Keengwe and Anywanu [17] further investigated this area. They determined that the majority of

undergraduate students were competent in basic computer technology applications such as word

processing, email, and PowerPoint supporting Prensky’s position. Bitter and Lagacy [18]

determined that traditional college-age students were also comfortable using iPods, blogs, and

other applications. Palfry and Gasser [19] found that younger students working in the online

environment tended to be more creative and self-reliant than older learners. Ransdell [15] also

examined the differences between older and younger online learners. He determined that older

online learners go beyond the given information and tend to make more extensive inferences about

the content as compared to younger learners.

Contrary to Prensky’s and other’s more static view of technology proficiency being determined by

age and consequent exposure since birth, Fernandez and Goldberg [20] indicated that the brain is

entirely flexible. They pointed to the research on learning that indicated individuals never lose the

ability to adapt, learn, and generate new connections. These new connections support their ability

to learn successfully in the online environment. Herther [21] further supported this position by

stating that the brain is “intrinsically flexible and eminently trainable” (p. 17). Small et al. [22]

provided additional evidence to support this concept by investigating individuals’ brain activity

while they were searching the internet. Through brain activity imaging, the researchers compared

the brain activity during internet searches of those with less experience conducting internet

searches with those who had more experience conducting searches. They determined that

individuals experienced in conducting internet searches had much higher developed frontal lobe or

decision-making activity when they searched online than those who had less experience. However,

when the groups were retested after a week’s training on internet searches, the less experienced

participants showed frontal lobe brain activity similar to those of the more experienced internet

users. Because this gap was closed so quickly, the researchers determined that the difference in

brain activity is not a result of a generational crisis. Instead, it is due to a lack of experience.

Herther [21] concluded that there is no research from neuroscience that would support ideas that

digital natives are any better prepared to handle the digital medium. However, "they may certainly

be more experienced, but the experience is something that can be overcome with training" (p. 17).

Herther [21] stated, “There is absolutely no scientific basis for claiming that young people’s brains

have changed in recent times or that there is such a major difference between the brain at different

ages” (p. 18). Younger learners might have more extensive experience using digital resources, but

that does not mean that they are familiar or proficient with the digital resources used in the online

courses.