International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, 1(2), 205–216
Active Learning in Online Courses:
An Examination of Students’
Learning Experience
Alex Koohang, Terry Smith, Johnathan Yerby, and Kevin Floyd
Macon State College, USA
This study examines students’ perception toward their learning experience in
an e-learning environment where active learning through regular and routine
graded discussion activities/assignments is expected. Attention was given to
the variables of age; gender; increased experience with online courses; and
increased proficiency with the course management system. Gender was found
to be a significant factor with regard to students’ perception toward their
learning experience in online courses. Discussion is carried out based on the
results of the study. The discussion then shifts to a focus upon strengthening
active learning in online courses and common ways in which active learning
can be used effectively in online courses. Conclusions and recommendations
for future research complete the paper.
Keywords: e-learning, learning, active learning, online education,
learning experience
Introduction
The proliferation of technology increases the ability for students to partic-
ipate in online or distance learning. According to the Allen and Seaman
(2011) report for Sloan Consortium titled Going the distance: Online Edu-
cation in the United States, 2011 over 6 million students are now taking
at least one online course, representing over a 10% growth rate in online
enrollment.
Working in an online classroom requires students and teachers to adapt
to the environment. The online atmosphere allows greater flexibility in
scheduling not only when students learn but also how they learn. Studies
have shown that student-centered teaching methods are more effective in
the following aspects: ‘application of concepts, problem solving, attitude,
motivation, group membership and leadership skills’ (McKeachie, 1999;
Pintrich & De Groot, 1990).
Through a variety of learning management systems and educational soft-
ware teachers are able to engage online learners. Harper, O’Donoghue,
Oliver and Lockyer (2001) suggest that educators must give close attention
in using e-learning materials that are connected to pedagogical principals. It
is important that the learning environment is designed with learners in mind,
www.issbs.si/press/ISSN/2232-5697/1_205-216.pdf
206 Alex Koohang, Terry Smith, Johnathan Yerby, and Kevin Floyd
is engaging, and is not ‘just glorified PowerPoint presentations’ (Feiertag &
Berge, 2008, p. 463).
Learning is not achieved by simply listening to teachers, memorizing
facts, or regurgitating answers. In order to learn, the students must talk
about what they are learning, write about it, and relate the experience to
their personal or professional life (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). Student
engagement is one of the most important factors that contribute to the stu-
dent’s overall experience in a course (Floyd, Harrington & Santiago, 2009).
Students are engaged and active in their learning when they are able to
demonstrate extended attention to a mentally thought-provoking task, re-
sulting in genuine learning and the ability to think critically (Corno & Donald-
son, 1983).
Active learning means that students are involved in more than passive
listening. Students are reading, writing, or discussing a topic. Less empha-
sis is placed on simple knowledge transfer and greater emphasis on the
student developing skills to solve complex problems. Active learning places
importance on the exploration of attitudes and values of students which
should increase student motivation. Regular immediate feedback from the
instructor is a very important aspect of active learning. Receiving immedi-
ate feedback enables students to be able to learn skills required to solve
problems, thus enabling students to be involved in higher order thinking.
Students move beyond simple memorizing of facts to being able to ana-
lyze, synthesize, and evaluate complex problems that may have multiple
solutions (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).
Johnson (2011) found that good active learning classes: 1) focus on
applying content; 2) are active, engaging, and technology friendly; 3) have
meaningful learning; 4) use interesting instructional materials; and 5) pro-
vide opportunities to collaborate and cooperate. Active learning results in
higher-order critical thinking and problem solving skills, and improved com-
munication skills – all necessary skills in today’s information age (Johnson,
2011).
Students that are engaged in active learning are able to move along the
Active Learning Continuum; beginning with simple tasks and progressing to
complex tasks. Simple tasks are usually defined as short and relatively un-
structured, while complex tasks are typically longer in duration and involve
a higher level of structure. It is important for students to not only complete
the tasks involved in learning, but to understand what they are doing, why
the task is important, and how the skills can be applied to similar situations
or problems (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).
Adler suggests that all genuine learning is active, and the process of
discovery works when the student is the main agent, not the teacher (Adler,
1982).
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Active Learning in Online Courses 207
The Study Setting
This study takes place in an e-learning environment where active learning via
regular and routine graded discussion activities/assignments for all online
courses is expected. We define active learning as activities/assignments
that are central to student engagement and learning. The active learning
is encouraged and enforced via the activities/assignments in the online
courses. The activities/assignments include individual and/or team activi-
ties designed to actively involve students in the learning process. Students
are required to interact with each other – individually and in small teams –
to express their viewpoints, evaluate various viewpoints, and assess each
others’ progress via continuous feedback.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perception toward their
learning experience in an e-learning environment where active learning was
expected and encouraged. Four research questions (RQ) streamed from the
study’s purpose:
RQ1 Is there a difference between students’ age and their perception with
learning experience in online courses?
RQ2 Is there a difference between learners’ gender and their perception
with learning experience in online courses?
RQ3 Is there a difference between learners’ increased experience with
online courses and their perception with learning experience in online
courses?
RQ4 Is there a difference between learners’ increased proficiency with
the course management system and their perception with learning
experience in online courses?
Age was selected because some studies have shown age gap in online
courses in general (Allen & Seaman, 2007; Allen & Seaman, 2010) while
others report no age differences in online learning environments (Shultz,
Shultz, & Round, 2010; Yukselturk & Bulut, 2007).
Gender was selected because gender gap with technology has been re-
ported in the literature since the 1980s with inconsistent results. Some
studies have reported no significant differences between males and fe-
males (Shultz, Shultz, & Round, 2010; Yukselturk & Bulut, 2007). In other
studies (Koohang, 1987; Hackett, Mirvis, & Sales, 1991), females exhib-
ited a less positive view of technology than males did.
Literature has documented differences in users’ increased prior experi-
ence with technology and users’ increased prior experience with courseware
in general. Users’ increased prior experience with technology and users’ in-
Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012
208 Alex Koohang, Terry Smith, Johnathan Yerby, and Kevin Floyd
creased prior experience with courseware in general significantly contributed
to their positive views about e-learning (Koohang, 2004a; Koohang 2004b).
Study Design
Instrumentation
The instrument (see Appendix A) was designed specifically around active
learning associated with weekly activities/assignments in online courses
of an IT program. The instrument consisted of 12 items. The instrument
used a Likert-type scale that included the following scoring strategy: strongly
agree = 5, agree = 4, neither agree nor disagree = 3, disagree = 2, and
strongly disagree = 1.
The items of the instrument were specifically related to student active
learning within the e-learning environment as described in the setting of
this study. The items are as follows:
1. I like the idea that the course includes individual and/or team activi-
ties.
2. I like the various individual and/or group assignments/activities.
3. I believe that the assignments/activities in this course enhance my
ability to understand and evaluate viewpoints.
4. The assignments/activities in this course encourage me to enhance
my skills as a team member.
5. I feel at ease expressing my thoughts.
6. I feel at ease when interacting with other students.
7. I like the various ideas expressed by everyone in the class.
8. I believe that the multiple perspectives expressed by everyone in var-
ious assignments/activities contribute to my learning.
9. The timely feedback is very important to my progress.
10. I like interacting with fellow students.
11. I like discussion of different view points on a given subject.
12. I like the idea of being actively involved in the class.
The content validity of the instrument was determined by a panel of ex-
perts consisting of three professors. The panel of experts determined that
the content of the instrument was appropriate to measure what it intended
to measure.
Furthermore, the instrument was tested for reliability using 19 students
who were enrolled in an online IT course. This sample was independent of
the sample used in the actual study. The calculated Cronbach’s alpha (α=
.93) indicated that the instrument is reliable enough to measure students’
perception of their learning experience in online courses.
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Active Learning in Online Courses 209
Sample Population & Procedure
After receiving permission from the IRB, the survey instrument was admin-
istered to 121 students who were enrolled in a four-year Information Tech-
nology program in a medium-sized higher education institution located in
the southeast United States. Subjects were males and females with their
age ranging from 18 to over 41. They were taking online courses in the
following topics: introduction to information technology; Web design and de-
velopment, networking essentials; systems analysis and design; database
principles; project management; human computer interaction; information
security; and senior capstone. These courses were conducted on a popular
commercial e-learning content management system.
The subjects were assured that their participation in completing the
survey was voluntary and that they must be 18 years of age or older to
complete the survey. Furthermore, they were assured protection of their
anonymity.
Of the 121 students, 115 completed the survey. Twelve of the completed
surveys were not usable, thus eliminated. The final sample population in-
cluded 103 usable surveys.
Data Analysis
Collected data were analyzed via SPSS, a popular statistical analysis soft-
ware. In addition to descriptive analyses, four separate one-way analyses of
variance (ANOVA) procedures were conducted to answer the research ques-
tions. ANOVA procedure tests differences between means of two or more
groups and uses the F statistic to test the statistical significance of the
differences among the means. The predetermined level of significance was
0.05.
Results
Descriptives Figure 1 depicts descriptive analysis for all the items of the
instrument. The results show that students had positive perception toward
their learning experience in the e-learning environment where active learning
was expected and encouraged.
RQ1 Is there a difference between students’ age and their perception with
learning experience in online courses? Results of one-way ANOVA (See Table
1) indicate no significant difference for age (F4,98 = .715, p = .715). There
was no significant difference among the levels of age and students’ per-
ception with learning experience in online courses. Overall, all students in
this category expressed high perception towards their learning experience
in online courses. Descriptive results were as follows:
•Level 1 = 18–23 Years (Mean = 4.0215, N = 31, SD = .56723)
Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012
210 Alex Koohang, Terry Smith, Johnathan Yerby, and Kevin Floyd
Figure 1
Means for All Items
from Low to High
Item 2 3.79
Item 4 3.81
Item 10 3.88
Item 1 3.90
Item 5 4.11
Item 6 4.12
Item 3 4.13
Item 7 4.13
Item 11 4.15
Item 12 4.15
Item 8 4.22
Item 9 4.58
•Level 2 = 24–29 Years (Mean = 4.0402, N = 29, SD = .55707)
•Level 3 = 30–35 Years (Mean = 4.2000, N = 20, SD = .46232)
•Level 4 = 36–41 Years (Mean = 4.0093, N = 9, SD = .43590)
•Level 5 = Over 41 Years (Mean = 4.1607, N = 14, SD = .46394)
RQ2 Is there a difference between learners’ gender and their perception
with learning experience in online courses? Results of one-way ANOVA (See
Table 2) revealed a significant difference for gender (F1,101 = 6.539, p =
.012). There was a significant difference between males and females in
regard to their perception with learning experience in online courses. Male
students significantly scored higher in regard to their perception with learn-
ing experience in online courses than female students did. Descriptive re-
sults were as follows:
•Level 1 = Male (Mean = 4.1784, N = 64, SD = .52869)
•Level 2 = Female (Mean = 3.9167, N = 39, SD = .45963)
RQ3 Is there a difference between learners’ increased experience with
online courses and their perception with learning experience in online
courses? Results of one-way ANOVA (See Table 3) indicate no significant
difference for increased experience with online courses (F3,99 = .937, p =
.426). There was no significant difference among the levels of increased
Table 1 ANOVA for E-Learning and Age
SS df MS F Sig.
Between Groups (Combined) .576 4 .144 .528 .715
Within Groups 26.721 98 .273
Total 27.297 102
Notes SS – Sum of Squares, MS – Mean Square.
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Active Learning in Online Courses 211
Table 2 ANOVA for E-Learning and Gender
SS df MS F Sig.
Between Groups (Combined) 1.660 1 1.660 6.539 .012
Within Groups 25.637 101 .254
Total 27.297 102
Notes SS – Sum of Squares, MS – Mean Square.
Table 3 ANOVA for E-Learning and Experience with Online Courses
SS df MS F Sig.
Between Groups (Combined) .753 3 .251 .937 .426
Within Groups 26.544 99 .268
Total 27.297 102
Notes SS – Sum of Squares, MS – Mean Square.
Table 4 ANOVA for E-Learning and Proficiency with CMS
SS df MS F Sig.
Between Groups (Combined) .588 2 .294 1.101 .336
Within Groups 26.709 100 .267
Total 27.297 102
Notes SS – Sum of Squares, MS – Mean Square.
experience with online courses and students’ perception with learning ex-
perience in online courses. Overall, all students in this category expressed
roughly equally high perception towards their learning experience in online
courses. Descriptive results were as follows:
•Level 1 = 1–2 Online Courses (Mean = 3.9948, N = 16, SD = .73123)
•Level 2 = 3–5 Online Courses (Mean = 3.9417, N = 20, SD = .49345)
•Level 3 = 6–10 Online Courses (Mean = 4.1509, N = 37,
SD =.47825)
•Level 4 = More than 10 Online Courses (Mean = 4.1278, N = 30,
SD =.44190)
RQ4 Is there a difference between learners’ increased proficiency with
the course management system and their perception with learning experi-
ence in online courses? Results of one-way ANOVA (See Table 4) indicate
no significant difference for increased proficiency with the course manage-
ment system (F2,100 =1.101, p= .336). There was no significant difference
among the levels of increased proficiency with the course management sys-
tem and students’ perception with learning experience in online courses.
Overall, all students in this category expressed roughly equally high percep-
tion towards their learning experience in online courses. Descriptive results
were as follows:
Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012
212 Alex Koohang, Terry Smith, Johnathan Yerby, and Kevin Floyd
•Level 1 = Excellent (Mean = 4.1172, N = 59, SD = .49473)
•Level 2 = Good (Mean = 4.0658, N = 38, SD = .51266)
•Level 3 = Average (Mean = 3.7917, N = 6, SD = .74675)
•Level 4 = Weak (no subject reported weak proficiency with the course
management system)
Discussion
This study examined students’ perception toward their learning experience
in online courses where active learning is central to the learning process.
Descriptive analyses revealed that students in general have a very high per-
ception toward active learning and that the design of active learning in on-
line courses contributes positively to their learning experience. This study,
therefore, recommends that active learning elements be included in the
design of online courses. The design of active learning elements in online
courses should focus on continuously engaging students in the process
of learning by providing activities/assignments that allow students to ac-
tively explore and create knowledge together. These activities/assignments
should promote discussion that includes exchange of viewpoints, collabo-
rative discourse that will lead students beyond what they already know. In
addition, routine feedback and assessment should be designed in the activ-
ities/assignments to make sure students are progressing in their learning.
Four research questions were formed to see whether there were signif-
icant differences among the levels of independent variables (age; gender;
increased experience with online courses; and increased proficiency with
the course management system) and the dependent variable of students’
learning experience in online courses where active learning is central to the
learning process.
Age, increased experience with online courses and increased proficiency
with the course management system did not yield significant differences in
students’ learning experience in online courses. The means were equally
high among the levels of all these independent variables and the depen-
dent variable. These findings are consistent with prior studies and reaffirm
that age, increased experience with online courses, and increased profi-
ciency with the course management system do not play significant roles in
students’ experience in online learning.
Gender made a significant difference in regard to students’ learning ex-
perience in online courses where active learning is central to the learning
process. Male students had a significantly higher perception towards their
learning experience in online courses than female students did. This find-
ing suggests that the design of active learning in activities/assignments for
online courses could be modified to better target the differences in learning
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Active Learning in Online Courses 213
styles of both males and females. Further research is needed to delineate
the reason or reasons for this finding.
This study provides insight into the perceptions of students in online
classes where educators embrace and create an active learning environ-
ment. The findings about age, increased experience with online courses,
and increased proficiency with the course management system may be due
to increased and growing participation of students in online courses in gen-
eral. Further studies on gender may help understand the improved design
of active learning elements in activities/assignments for both males and
females, giving special attention to females and their style of learning in
online environments. By offering a learning environment that is attractive to
both genders, perceptions of the learning experience may improve. Contin-
ued studies of online students can help us better understand what types of
leaning activities work well and avoid using the ones that do not work well.
This study is not without limitations. It must be noted that this popula-
tion must be considered a purposeful sample and its members comprise a
subset of the online student population. Participants were enrolled in online
information technology courses in a medium-sized higher education institu-
tion in the southeast United States. The results may not be regarded as
generalizable from the sample to the general online student population.
Appendix A: E-Learning Experience Survey
The purpose of this survey is to assess IT students’ opinion about their learn-
ing experience in online courses.
Notes: Your participation in completing this survey is absolutely voluntary.
You must be 18 years or older to complete this survey. All your responses are
kept confidential. Do not put your name on this survey.
Section 1: Demographics
Please answer the following questions by circling the appropriate number:
1. Your age:
1 = 18–23 Years
2 = 24–29 Years
3 = 30–35 Years
4 = 36–41 Years
5 = Over 41 Years
2. Your Gender:
1 = Male
2 = Female
3. How many online courses have you taken:
1 = 1–2
2 = 3–5
3 = 6–10
Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012
214 Alex Koohang, Terry Smith, Johnathan Yerby, and Kevin Floyd
4 = More than 10
4. College Status:
1 = Freshman
2 = Sophomore
3 = Junior
4 = Senior
5. Rate Your Proficiency with using the MSC Vista:
1 = Excellent
2 = Good
3 = Average
4 = Weak
Section 2: Your opinion about the learning experience in online courses
Using the scale below, please indicate your response to each of the items
that follow by circling the number that best describes your opinion about your
experience with the online course you are taking (5 = strongly agree, 4 =
agree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 2 = disagree, 1 = strongly disagree).
1. I like the idea that the course includes individual and/or team activities
5 4 3 2 1
2. I like the various individual and/or group assignments/activities
5 4 3 2 1
3. I believe that the assignments/activities in this course enhance my
ability to understand and evaluate view-points
5 4 3 2 1
4. The assignments/activities in this course encourage me to enhance my
skills as a team member
5 4 3 2 1
5. I feel at ease expressing my thoughts
5 4 3 2 1
6. I feel at ease when interacting with other students
5 4 3 2 1
7. I like the various ideas expressed by everyone in the class
5 4 3 2 1
8. I believe that the multiple perspectives expressed by everyone in vari-
ous assignments/activiies contribute to my learning
5 4 3 2 1
9. The timely feedback is very important to my progress
5 4 3 2 1
10. I like interacting with fellow students
5 4 3 2 1
11. I like discussion of different view points on a given subject
5 4 3 2 1
12. I like the idea of being actively involved in the class
5 4 3 2 1
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Active Learning in Online Courses 215
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Alex Koohang is Peyton Anderson Eminent Scholar and Professor of Infor-
mation Technology in the School of Information Technology at Macon State
College. He is also the Dean of the School of Information Technology at Ma-
con State College. Dr. Koohang has been involved in the development of on-
line education, having initiated and administered some of the earliest asyn-
chronous learning networks. His current research interests are in the areas
of e-learning, learning objects, open education, and curriculum design.
Terry Smith is assistant professor in the School of Information Technology at
Macon State College in Macon, Georgia. Dr. Smith holds an MBA from the Uni-
versity of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, and a PhD in Information Systems
from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. His research in-
terests include human computer interaction, Web and Internet technologies,
E-business, Ecommerce, and E-government.
Johnathan Yerby is a lecturer of Information Technology. He teaches courses
in the areas of networking and information security. His current research in-
terests are in the areas of information security, networking, and e-learning.
Kevin Floyd is associate professor of Information Technology in the School
of Information Technology at Macon State College. Dr. Floyd teaches in the
areas of programming & application development, information security, and
IT integration. His current research interests are in the areas of open source,
accessibility, and information security.
This paper is published under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning