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Running head: CRITICAL ANALYSIS: ADULT ONLINE LEARNING

A Critical Analysis of an Adult Online Learning Case Study


Nikki Marcel
California State University - Monterey Bay

IST520 Learning Theories


Dr. Nancy Lockwood
February 3, 2015

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: ADULT ONLINE LEARNING

Introduction
This is a critical analysis of, A Case Study of Constructivist Instructional Strategies for
Adult Online Learning, a nonexperimental case study conducted by Shieh Ruey. As explicitly
stated in the study, the purpose was to "explore whether and how nondegree-pursuing adult
learners benefit from engaging in a constructivist-based online course" (Ruey, p. 707). The
researcher wanted to find out what strategies in online adult learning were effective and which
could be improved upon based on observation, analysis of course materials, and instructor and
learner participation and feedback.
At the beginning of the study, the researcher discusses the purpose of the case study, then
goes further by explicitly stating the two research questions being address by the case study:
1. What and how do online adult learners benefit from a constructivist-based online course?
2. What improvements are identified that will help strengthen the constructivist-based
course in the future.
The research questions clearly illustrate the information the researcher intends to gain from the
case study.
Although it may not be considered a bias, the researcher appears to have a positive view
of constructivist-based online adult education courses when describing the subject of the study.
It is clear the researcher believes this is a good way for adults to continue their education, even
stating they are "exploring the benefits" (p. 707) in the statement of purpose. In the study, the
researcher cites numerous scholarly sources to support the benefits of online adult education.
However, one of the goals of the study is to identify ways to make adult online education better
for learners, so they also believe it can be improved.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: ADULT ONLINE LEARNING

When introducing the case study, the researcher acknowledged the growing popularity of
online adult education as well as that this type of option for education can be beneficial.
However, the researcher also referenced a conclusion from a previous study done by a researcher
where, "Conrad (2008) found that learners seldom demonstrate the benefits they acquire from
participating in online learning activities in their workplace" (p. 709). The researcher had this
idea in mind when constructing the two research questions for this study. The specific research
questions were important to this study as the researcher referenced the questions throughout the
study, asked specific questions of the case study participants in order to gain more information
regarding the two questions, and answered both questions using results from the study in the
conclusion.
Research Procedure
Over the course of the study, the researcher observed two separate classes of adult online
learners; one in the spring and one in the fall. The researcher had access to all course materials
as well as all learner artefacts. Additionally, discussions with the instructor, TAs, and students
were conducted throughout the study.
The researcher observed the interactions that took place during the three face-to-face
meetings for each class as well as all online meetings and discussions within the class forums.
Items that were noted by the researcher included how many students interacted with each other
online as well as how often the interactions occurred for each student.
Particularly useful in this study was the additional information gathered at the completion
of the class through an optional student survey, including the age of each learner, reason for
enrolling in the class, and the thoughts of the individuals about how effective the different
instructional strategies were, as this aided the researcher in addressing the first research question

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: ADULT ONLINE LEARNING

regarding how learners benefit from constructivist-based online courses. The researcher was
able to contact many of the individuals after completion of the class to obtain any additional
information or explanations needed for the research.
For this study, the selected group contained learners typical of the adult online learning
community. Participants spanned a large age range, including adults as old as fifty, as well as
adults as young as twenty. Although the individuals within the groups could not be specifically
chosen by the researcher, the researcher included two classes in the study so as to include as
many different ages as possible.
The research procedures for this study were appropriate and were clearly described so
that others could replicate them. As this study was not intended to conclude with hard statistical
data as to the exact effectiveness of online courses, the groups chosen at random and the methods
of observation and discussion with the students regarding their opinions of the effectiveness of
the course were appropriate. Other researchers intending to continue or expand on this research
could easily replicate this study by conducting the same research methods outlined in the study
with other online courses.
Research Results
Statistical data detailed in this case study focused on learner demographics. The
researcher collected information on learner gender and occupation from all learners enrolled in
the courses. Data on the learners' prior experience with online courses, computer skills, study
hours, age, employment status, and marital status were collected through optional surveys
completed at the course completion. Most, but not all students completed the optional surveys.
Because this case study was focused on the effectiveness of online education according to the
learners, with an emphasis on determining strategies to make online learning more effective, the
statistical techniques used by the researcher were appropriate.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: ADULT ONLINE LEARNING

Although discussed and referenced throughout the study, there did not seem to be any
clearly stated hypothesis or questions resulting from the data. This may be because most of the
statistical data was collected at the end of the study, then compared to the observations done
during the study while analyzing all information at the completion of the study. The researcher
did discuss connections they saw concerning learner ages with their approach to the courses as
well as their opinion of the effectiveness of the course.
Discussion of Results
The results for this case study in terms of course effectiveness were not illustrated with
hard statistical data. Most of the results were discussed by comparing the two classes (spring
with more older learners, fall with more younger learners) and showing either the differences or
similarities of the students' opinions of the effectiveness of the various aspects of the
instructional model.
The researcher found that with the diversity of ages in the group participating in the
study, came some dramatically different results pertaining to students' opinions on the
effectiveness of the online course. For example, the older students generally seemed to
appreciate working collaboratively with their peers on group projects, however, the younger
learners felt the time was wasted during group discussions. Additionally, the older learners
seemed to appreciate the less demanding coursework, but the younger learners expected and
desired more guided and specific course requirements.
Alternately, almost all learners from both classes expressed a large benefit from reading
and discussing the views of their peers. Students said that "reading others' opinions and ideas
often helped them view the same issue from different perspectives" (p. 714). Most students
agreed that they were not ultimately concerned with their course grade, rather their goal was to

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: ADULT ONLINE LEARNING

learn new concepts from the course. However, most students voiced the opinion that the
instructor feedback was weak, even though the course was designed so that most of the feedback
was contributed by student peers, students felt the lack of instructor feedback caused a lesser
effort from the group overall.
Overall, the researcher found that the constructivist-based approach used in the courses
were promising in promoting learner self-motivation and responsible learning as well as peer
collaboration in online courses. In addressing the second research question, the researcher
offered a few suggestions to strengthen the online courses for the future, including a more
flexible instructional strategy, such as personal learning contracts for each student. Additionally,
the researcher suggests the instructor provide more facilitation during course communications
and timely meaningful feedback for the students.
Taking all of the research into consideration, the researcher promotes the value of
lifelong learning and the importance and effectiveness of constructivist-based learning for online
courses for the purpose of lifelong learning. The researcher concludes the case study with
detailed role recommendations for all parties involved in the online courses, including
instructors, TAs, and students, in an attempt to make online adult learning even more effective
and address the learning needs of all learners.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: ADULT ONLINE LEARNING

References
Ruey, S. (2010). A case study of constructivist instructional strategies for adult online learning.
British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5), 706-720.

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