The Effect of Instructional Activities on Student Experience

Data was collected from students in online Summer 2012 business courses: Finance 221, BADM 310, BADM 320, BADM 350, and BADM 380.

Abstract
Although online courses offer some advantages to students, an online course may either succeed or fail according to the strength of its learning tools and activities, and whether or not they are suitable to students’ needs. This study assesses the strengths and weaknesses of instructional activities applied in a sample of online business courses offered by a midwestern American university. An analysis of students’ experience and satisfaction with the courses was informed by both qualitative and quantitative data. Data collected through interviews and online surveys revealed that perceived satisfaction of online students in business courses was higher than the average to that of face-to-face, showing students’ high satisfaction with their overall learning experience in the online environment. In addition, the result has provided insight into the students’ perception of the online environment, which has informed this study and helped the e-learning department improve future online courses.