Utilizing a mixed methods research design, the purpose of this educational research project is to increase the general knowledge base regarding the impact of online distance education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines on student learning experiences and outcomes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Thus, a quantitative study will be designed to collect data on students? learning styles, academic outcomes, and learning experiences in online and traditional STEM courses. To accomplish this goal, a survey will be distributed to a representative sample of undergraduate students enrolled in online distance education courses in the STEM disciplines and to those undergraduate students enrolled in traditional STEM courses at HBCUs. Quantitative data will then be analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques and multivariate analyses. To obtain more in-depth data, a qualitative research design will be utilized to examine similarities and differences in learning styles, academic outcomes, and learning experiences of undergraduate students enrolled in online distance education courses in the STEM disciplines and those students enrolled in traditional STEM courses at HBCUs. To achieve this aim, individual and group interviews will be conducted with undergraduate students enrolled in online STEM courses and those enrolled in traditional STEM courses. Further, all interviews (both individual and group) will be audio taped and transcribed, and this qualitative data will be analyzed utilizing the grounded theory approach. Including both a quantitative and qualitative component, this research project will provide valuable information regarding the extent to which online courses in the STEM disciplines enhance student learning and academic engagement. Moreover, this educational research project is designed to identify student-centered pedagogical strategies that enhance students? online learning experiences, complement students' learning styles, and provide students with a foundational knowledge of STEM course content.
Broader Impacts The broader impacts of this education research project include the enhancement of online distance education courses and traditional courses in the STEM disciplines at HBCUs and other colleges and universities across the nation, particularly with underrepresented student populations (e.g., African Americans, Hispanic Americans, etc.). Given the fact that limited research exists exploring the effectiveness of online distance education in the STEM fields at HBCUs, the goals of this research project are noteworthy due to recent data that demonstrates an increase in online distance education courses in the STEM fields at colleges and universities. This novel research study will provide critical data that will lead to curriculum enhancements in online and traditional STEM courses at HBCUs. Moreover, the mixed methods research design that will be employed in this study will serve as a future research model that can be replicated to investigate complex factors that impact the effectiveness of online and traditional courses in STEM disciplines at HBCUs and other academic institutions around the country. Thus, STEM professors from the nation?s colleges and universities can use the study?s design and findings as a benchmark to conduct similar studies and validate data from their research exploring the impact of online distance education in the STEM disciplines. Furthermore, the dissemination strategy that will be employed is designed to inform STEM faculty and educational researchers of the study?s results and their implications for practice and future research regarding online instruction in STEM disciplines at HBCUs. Notably, the data collected from this mixed methods research study will yield scholarly publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national meetings and conferences that will further expand the knowledge base, enhance pedagogical practices, and improve the design, delivery, evaluation, and quality of online distance education in the STEM disciplines at HBCUs and other colleges and universities in the nation. Further, a website will be created to serve as an online repository for HBCUs, regarding distance education. Such an approach will serve as a resource for other HBCUs, and it will ensure that such universities and colleges have access to cutting-edge research and ?best practices? on distance education in STEM fields.
