This presentation combines findings from four studies conducted with students and faculty engaged in courses offered fully online using WebCT. The first study examined student behavior by tracking what students do online and how long they spend on each activity using student access tracking logs associated with archived online courses. The second study examined student completion and non-completion. Analyzed were nine student background variables and locus of control in predicting completion or withdrawal. The third study examined student satisfaction and learning issues in the online environment by surveying and conducting interviews with students. Using interviews and analyzing archived courses, the fourth study examined the roles that faculty enact while teaching online.

Based on these collected findings, the following conclusions are reached:

Two groups of students are often encountered online: those who believe they can succeed in the online environment, and who persist by being active and exploratory. Other less confident students often express confusion about the course, the expectations, and its organization, and ultimately show declining participation and engagement.

From observations of what faculty do online, some instructors are equally confused by what it means to teach online--giving little feedback, rarely being “present,” and allowing the students largely to fend for themselves.

Our research suggests that faculty and students must be taught how to teach and learn online, and they need a specific set of skills and guidelines to be successful. Faculty need training in the pedagogical, social and managerial roles, and students need to understand how to engage the course and the instructor online.