The College of Education announces the final Dissertation of

James Barham

for the degree of Doctor of Education

October 27, 2016 at 1:00 pm

Major Advisor: Deborah Lowther, PhD

EXAMINING COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT EXPERIENCES WITH AND ATTITUDES TOWARD COLLABORATION IN ONLINE COURSES

ABSTRACT: This research examined experiences/attitudes of community college students toward collaboration in online courses. Participants were 73 students in an online course the previous semester. Findings revealed collaboration primarily involved discussion boards and emails. Most agreed collaboration helped increase achievement and social skills for successful careers. Participants reported “best things” about online collaboration were better understanding of course content and feeling a sense of community; “worst things” were low participation, insufficient communication, and poorly organized activities. The findings have implications with regard to designing and implementing effective collaborative strategies that achieve learning, improve retention, and better prepare students for the future.