ONLINE LEARNING IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION: EXPLORING STUDENT MOTIVATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS ONLINE PROGRAMS

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a rise in online degree programs and online education. Online degree programs are a valuable option for students who are unable and/or choose not to complete a degree at a college or university in the traditional, on-campus format. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the reasons or factors that influenced students to pursue a degree in a 100% online format, as well as, the “lived experiences,” perceived benefits of, barriers to, and “tradeoffs” students encountered pursuing a degree in an online format. The population for this study consisted of 10 undergraduate students enrolled in one of the two online agriculture degree programs (AgriScience Technology or Agribusiness) offered through the Hutson School of Agriculture at Murray State University, two faculty members that have experience teaching online agriculture courses through the Hutson School of Agriculture, and two administrators with involvement in the planning, development, and implementation of online degree programs at a college or university. The research instrument for this study consisted of semi-structured interviews with questions designed to capture the reflections, experiences, and perspectives of the participants regarding online degree programs and online education. For this study, a qualitative data analysis software (NVivo 15) was used to assist in the process of data analysis. As P-20 education continues to grow and evolve with changing technology and the needs of students, online degree programs and online education will continue to be an innovative force in higher education