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International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

Table 2 Critical Success Factor Loadinga

From: Integrating students’ perspectives about online learning: a hierarchy of factors

Survey Items

Factor 1 Teaching Presence

Factor 2 Cognitive Presence

Factor 3 Social Presence

Factor 4 Instructional Support

Factor 5 Basic Online Modality

Factor 6 Online Social Comfort

Factor 7 Interactive Modality

Online instructor provides clear instructions on how to participate in course learning activities.

0.8165

      

Online instructor helps keep the course participants on task in a way that helped me to learn.

0.7801

      

Online instructor clearly communicates important due dates/time frames for learning activities.

0.7651

      

Online instructor provides feedback that helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses relative to the course’s goals and objectives.

0.7611

      

Online instructor provides feedback in a timely fashion.

0.7293

      

Online instructor clearly communicates important course goals.

0.6956

      

Online instructor helps to focus discussion on relevant issues in a way that helped me to learn.

0.6379

      

Online instructor encourages course participants to explore new concepts in this course.

0.6345

      

Online course provide opportunities for meaningful reflection on course content

 

0.8525

     

Online learning activities help me construct explanations/solutions in online courses.

 

0.8408

     

Course activities stimulate my curiosity in online courses.

 

0.7206

     

I can apply the knowledge created in online courses to my work or other non-class related activities.

 

0.6945

     

I can utilize a variety of information sources to explore problems posed in online courses.

 

0.6628

     

Online discussions are valuable in helping me appreciate different perspectives.

 

0.5518

     

Posing problems in online courses increases my interest in course issues.

 

0.4220

     

Getting to know other course participants gives me a sense of belonging in the course.

  

0.7551

    

I am able to form distinct impressions of other course participants.

  

0.6484

    

interaction with other students

  

0.6390

0.3125

   

a sense of community in the class

  

0.5509

0.4327

   

Online or web-based communication is an excellent medium for social interaction.

  

0.5026

  

0.3080

 

including student goals

  

0.3950

    

sufficient rehearsal of material, skills to be learned, etc.

   

0.7241

   

instructor providing feedback

   

0.6852

   

instructor having enthusiasm

   

0.6610

   

the use of a variety of techniques to communicate and learn

   

0.4724

   

navigation (e.g., being able to find what you want)

   

0.4010

0.3227

  

syllabus (more detailed than in a face-to-face class)

   

0.3546

   

allowing students to make online submissions

    

0.8136

  

online gradebook

    

0.7464

  

online grading of assignments by instructors

    

0.7409

  

online quizzes

    

0.3308

  

I felt comfortable participating in the course discussions.

     

0.8816

 

I felt comfortable disagreeing with other classmates in online courses while still maintaining a sense of trust.

     

0.8149

 

Online discussions help me to develop a sense of collaboration.

     

0.5301

 

Zoom or other videoconference methods

      

0.9238

video lectures

      

0.7540

small groups discussions (chat rooms)

      

0.4920

  1. aSeven factors explain 67% of the variance. Decimal places and loadings less than .30 omitted
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