I Would Have Had More Success If … : The Reflections and Tribulations of a First-Time Online Instructor

This paper is to explore “I-would-have-had-more-success-if…,” the reflections of a beginning online teacher and her students in an undergraduate Web-based course. The data used in the paper was gathered using the instructor’s journals, student feedback, and an analysis of online discussions. The instructor maintained journals reflecting upon students’ experiences as she developed and delivered the online course. The students’ feedback was gathered through student journals, e-mails sent to the instructor, and an end-of-course evaluation survey. This paper can provide insights for online educators in their efforts to be effective in developing strategies that can promote learning. The instructor attempted to share her experience that could help online instructors understand areas of improvement identified by students when taking online technology-based courses.