A comparison of student and instructor preferences for design and pedagogy features in online courses

The study investigated the preferences of instructors and students for design and pedagogy features of online instruction at the post-secondary level. Features were identified through a comprehensive literature review combined with focus groups. Each feature was subjected to review by subject matter experts to validate the differentiation between design and pedagogy features. Thirty-two design features and 31 pedagogy features were identified. The 63 items were structured in a Likert scale format. Respondents were asked to rate their preference on a five-point scale, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, for each individual feature. Participants included 35 instructors and 200 students experienced in online instruction at a mid-western university. Demographic data on age, gender, online teaching experience, years of Internet experience, faculty rank, and discipline affiliation were collected on instructors. For students, data on age, gender, degree level or professional development enrollment, prior online courses completed, and Internet experience were collected.;An independent sample T-test was conducted to determine if there was a significant difference between the preferences of instructors and students on the rating of individual features. A correlation coefficient of .95 was found on the design item rankings between instructors and students. A correlation coefficient of .87 was found on the pedagogy item rankings between instructors and students. A significant difference was found at the .05 level, between the preferences of instructors and students on 19 individual features. Five were design features and 14 were pedagogy features. The rank ordering of preferences of design and pedagogy features was also compared. Comparisons included instructors with all student participants, students earning regular university credit, and students pursuing professional development goals.;Major findings included the high level of agreement on design and pedagogy features by instructors and students, the similarities in rank order by both students earning regular university credit and those pursuing professional development goals. When compared with the ranking of instructors and students, low preferences were being placed on social interaction features and features applicable to accommodations for diverse learners, such as students with disabilities.