Analysis of students perspectives and results achieved for first online classes delivered in diploma program, college of education (pilot project)

Abstract

College of Education in Qatar University has started a pilot project to improve the quality of learning by delivering one third of Diploma Program courses online. Diploma Program has been previously frozen for one year due to low enrollment and high dropout rates. One the main reasons for freezing the Diploma Program is that the learners who are full time school teachers can't attend all classes on campus. The aim of the pilot project is to provide opportunity for those learners to take one third of their Diploma courses online, participate in online activities with their peers and submit their assignments online. The paper presents the background and the methodological foundations of the project, the learners' perspectives of the online classes, and comparison between the learners' results who attend online classes and others who attend equivalent course taught face-to-face. The paper also presents lines of pedagogical, management, and technological development which will make possible improvement of the initiative to the entire university.