| To maximize the potential of Web-based distance education for reentrant adult learners, online programs must include elements needed for successful online learning experiences implemented in ways that students find satisfactory and effective. Effective instruments are needed to measure the success with which online instruction programs fulfill those requirements. This descriptive study was an attempt to validate such an instrument. The instrument was developed to ascertain student satisfaction with the factors employed in the provision of an asynchronous online program and to compare that satisfaction with the influence those factors had on students' overall learning experience in the program. The instrument consisted of 5-category Likert Scales in an 80-question survey. The survey was divided into eight educational and administrative dimensions, each containing ten factors. Correlational analysis showed a high relationship between factor satisfaction and experiential impact in each of the eight dimensions. Coefficients of determination were used to ascertain that the Pedagogical and Resource Support Dimensions had the most meaningful associations between satisfaction and experiential impact variables, and the Ethical Dimension the least. Overall, students were most satisfied with the factors in the Ethical Dimension, albeit with relatively lower correlation with the impact of those factors on the learning experience, and least satisfied with factors in the Resource Support Dimension. The Technological Dimension contained the greatest number of factors rated as high in both satisfaction and experience impact. Overall, the data and their analysis supported the research instrument's validity and usefulness in the generation of successful asynchronous online education. |
