Students' Perceptions of Online Courses in a Graduate Adolescence Education Program

Online learning has become a critical concern in higher education. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of graduate students relative to online courses in their program of study. Forty-one graduate students completed a survey about their perceptions of online courses. Results indicate that traditional students may harbor misgivings about the social aspects involved in online courses, that online students have had positive experiences – though the online courses are not always up to their expectations, and that both traditional learners and online learners perceive online learning as convenient though not necessarily conducive to their learning. As online learning continues to grow, institutions of higher education need to monitor the impact of online courses on their programs.