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Peter Shea

SUNY: University at Albany, Educational Theory and practice, Faculty Member

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Dr. Shea is an Associate Professor at the University at Albany, State University of New York, in the department of Educational Theory and Practice with a joint appointment in the Informatics program in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. His research focuses on technology-mediated teaching and learning in higher education.

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Papers by Peter Shea

Leveling the Playing Field: A Study of Captioned Interactive Video for Second Language Learning

Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2000

Research on computer-assisted and video-based educational techniques has almost invariably found ... more

SUNY Learning Network and Coursespace Student Survey Spring 2006

Using Focus Groups to Study ALN Faculty Motivation

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Mar 1, 2010

What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching i... more What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching in online environments? And what are the specific kinds of experiences that underlie and explain the importance of these factors? One goal of this study was to add to understanding of these issues, but the primary purpose of this study is determining how well these questions can be answered using the method of structured focus groups. This paper describes the methods and results of a pilot study conducted using four focus group interviews of faculty experienced in teaching using "Asynchronous Learning Networks" (ALN) at one university, and a single focus group at a second university in order to explore generalizability. For the university at which four group interviews were conducted, the rank orders of leading motivators and demotivators were quite consistent. Leading motivators include the flexibility allowed by being able to teach "anytime/anywhere;" better/more personal interaction and community building supported by the medium; the technical and creativity challenges offered by this mode of teaching; being able to reach more (and more diverse) students; and better course management. Major sources of dissatisfaction are more work, medium limitations, lack of adequate support and policies for teaching online, and the fact that the medium is not a good fit for some students. Very similar results were found through the replication focus group conducted at a different institution.

Increasing Access to Higher Education: A study of the diffusion of online teaching among 913 college faculty

by Alexandra M . Pickett and Peter Shea

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2005

Online learning environments provide an unprecedented opportunity to increase student access to h... more Online learning environments provide an unprecedented opportunity to increase student access to higher education. Accomplishing this much needed goal requires the active participation and cooperation of university faculty from a broad spectrum of institutional settings. Although online learning has seen rapid growth in recent years, it remains a relatively small percentage of the entire curriculum of higher education today. As a relatively recent development, online teaching can be viewed through the lens of diffusion of innovation research. This paper reports on research from 913 professors from community colleges, four-year colleges, and university centers in an attempt to determine potential barriers to the continued growth in adoption of online teaching in higher education. It is concluded through factor and regression analysis that four variables are significantly associated with faculty satisfaction and their likelihood, therefore, to adopt or continue online teaching -these include levels of interaction in their online course, technical support, a positive learning experience in developing and teaching the course, and the discipline area in which they taught. Recommendations for institutional policy, faculty development, and further research are included.

Learning Presence in the Community of Inquiry Model: Towards a Theory of Online Learner Self- and Co-regulation

Media multimedia and language learning: A review of the literature

Faculty Motivators and De-motivators for Teaching Online: Results of Focus Group Interviews at One University

2007 40th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'07), 2007

What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching i... more What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching in online environments? And what are the specific kinds of experiences that underlie and explain the importance of these factors? Exploring these questions through structured focus group discussions is the primary goal of this study. The second goal is to provide insight regarding how to engage and retain a larger number of faculty in online teaching. This paper describes the methods and results of a pilot study conducted using focus group interviews of faculty experienced in teaching using "Asynchronous Learning Networks" (ALN) at one university. Leading motivators are the flexibility allowed by being able to teach "anytime/anywhere;" better/more personal interaction and community building supported by the medium; the technical and creativity challenges offered by this mode of teaching; being able to reach more (and more diverse) students; and better course management. Major sources of dissatisfaction are more work, medium limitations, lack of adequate support and policies for teaching online, and the fact that the medium is not a good fit for some students.

Reconceptualizing the Community of Inquiry framework: Exploratory and confirmatory analysis

The Internet and Higher Education, 2014

Constructs requiring additional conceptualization within the Community of Inquiry framework for o... more Constructs requiring additional conceptualization within the Community of Inquiry framework for online learning include the self-and co-regulatory processes students bring to online learning. This paper extends previous efforts to advance the framework by addressing this gap. Quantitative content analysis and social network analysis were used with online discussions in a doctoral course to identify qualities of the discourse. The analysis focused on the three original presences of the framework (social, teaching, and cognitive presences) and learning presence, a recently proposed addition to the framework. First, frequencies of all four presences were calculated to report patterns in the discussions. Next, correlations were computed to investigate which presences correspond with the modes of critical thinking described in cognitive presence. Finally, students' positions of influence and prestige were analyzed in relation to their expressions of the four forms of presence. Findings raise questions about the framework's scope and point toward its reconceptualization.

A re-examination of the community of inquiry framework: Social network and content analysis

The Internet and Higher Education, 2010

This study provides a simultaneous examination of all components of the Community of Inquiry (CoI... more This study provides a simultaneous examination of all components of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) seeks to extend previous work into the nature, development, and relationships between the constructs of "presence" hypothesized in the model. To accomplish this goal we use content and social network analysis to examine the discourse produced among all participants in two semester-length online asynchronous college courses. Coding for the existence and relative intensity of forms of presence we identify patterns and relationships between instructors' and students' teaching presence and social presence and the corresponding quantity and levels of the cognitive presence that emerges. The study reveals complex relationships between these variables that have implications for the development of higher order thinking and meaningful learning in online environments. Study findings also have implications for online teaching practice and ongoing research on the CoI framework.

A study of teaching presence and student sense of learning community in fully online and web-enhanced college courses

by Peter Shea and Peter Shea

This paper focuses on two components of a model for online teaching and learning—“teaching presen... more This paper focuses on two components of a model for online teaching and learning—“teaching presence” and “community”. It is suggested that previous research points to the critical role that community plays in academic success and persistence in higher education. Through a review of recent literature it is proposed that teaching presence–viewed as the core roles of the online instructor–is a promising mechanism for developing learning community in online environments. This investigation presents a multi-institutional study of 1067 students across 32 different colleges that further substantiates this claim. An instrument to assess instructor teaching presence (“The Teaching Presence Scale”) is presented and validated. Factor and regression analysis indicate a significant link between students' sense of learning community and effective instructional design and “directed facilitation” on the part of course instructors, and highlights interesting differences between online and classroom environments. Alternative hypotheses regarding student demographics associated with variables such as age (the “net generation” effect) and gender are also examined. Despite recent assertions that younger students are or soon will be too sophisticated to “feel at home” in largely text- based asynchronous learning environments, no significant effects were found by demographic differences examined. Recommendations for online course design, pedagogy, and future research are included.

Correlating community college students' perceptions of community of inquiry presences with their completion of blended courses

by Peter Shea and Edward Volchok

The Internet and Higher Education, 2014

Building Knowledge Building Communities: Consistency, Contact and Communication in the Virtual Classroom

by Peter Shea, Eric Fredericksen, and Alexandra M . Pickett

Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2001

... 23(4) 359-383, 2000 BUILDING KNOWLEDGE BUILDING COMMUNITIES: CONSISTENCY, CONTACT AND COMMUNI... more

Leveling the Playing Field: A Study of Captioned Interactive Video for Second Language Learning

Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2000

Research on computer-assisted and video-based educational techniques has almost invariably found ... more

Cognitive presence and online learner engagement: a cluster analysis of the community of inquiry framework

Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 2009

In this paper we make the case that online learning continues to grow at a rapid rate and that un... more In this paper we make the case that online learning continues to grow at a rapid rate and that understanding this innovative mode of education requires analysis that is both conceptually and empirically driven. This study inquires into the concept of cognitive presence a multivariate measure of significant learning derived from the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework . The CoI framework conceptualizes online knowledge building as a result of collaborative work among members in learning communities characterized by instructional orchestration appropriate to the online environments (teaching presence) and a supportive and collaborative online setting (social presence). We present results of a study of 5000 online learners to attempt to further validate the CoI framework and articulate the relationships among the constructs within it. Utilizing cluster analysis we propose that the three forms of presence that characterize the CoI framework can be understood through an equilibrium model and that this model has important implications for the design of online instruction and the success of collaborative online learning.

The Community of Inquiry framework meets the SOLO taxonomy: a process‐product model of online learning

Educational Media International, 2011

Factors influencing faculty satisfaction with online teaching and learning in higher education

by Alexandra M . Pickett, Eric Fredericksen, and Peter Shea

Distance Education, 2009

…100% of faculty reported that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the SUNY Learnin... more …100% of faculty reported that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the SUNY Learning Network." Spring 1999 SLN Faculty Satisfaction Survey The State University of New York (SUNY) Learning Network (SLN) is the on-line instructional program created for the 64 colleges and nearly 400,000 students of SUNY. The foundation of the program is FACTORS INFLUENCING FACULTY SATISFACTION WITH ASYNCHRONOUS TEACHING AND LEARNING college programs in the SUNY system: the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at the University at Albany (UA), and the Internet Academy (IA) of Herkimer County Community College (HCCC). These case studies present and examine important evidence of faculty satisfaction from a single-institution and individual-faculty perspective. FACTORS INFLUENCING FACULTY SATISFACTION WITH ASYNCHRONOUS TEACHING AND LEARNING

Does online learning impede degree completion? A national study of community college students

Computers & Education, 2014

Using a nationally representative sample (The Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey, BPS 04/09),... more Using a nationally representative sample (The Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey, BPS 04/09), this study examined the associations between enrollment in credit-bearing distance education courses and degree attainment. We sought to determine whether US students enrolled in distance education courses during their first year of study at a community college tend to complete a degree (certificate, associate, or bachelor's) at significantly lower rates than those who were not enrolled in such courses or programs. Consistent with previous large-scale research at the State level in Virginia and Washington (Smith Jaggars & Xu, 2010; Xu & Smith Jaggars, 2011), we hypothesized that community college students who participate in distance education in early semesters graduate at lower rates than students who do not. Contrary to expectations, the study found that controlling for relevant background characteristics; students who take some of their early courses online or at a distance have a significantly better chance of attaining a community college credential than do their classroom only counterparts. These results imply that a new model of student retention in the age of the internet, one that assumes transactional adaptation, may be warranted.

Online learner self regulation: Learning presence, viewed through quantitative content-and social network analysis

by Peter Shea and Jane Wilde

This paper presents an extension of an ongoing study of online learning framed within the Communi... more This paper presents an extension of an ongoing study of online learning framed within the Community of Inquiry model in which we further examine a new construct labeled as 'learning presence.' We use learning presence to refer to the iterative processes of forethought and planning, monitoring and adapting strategies for learning, and reflecting on results that successful students use to regulate their learning in online, interactive environments. To gain insight into these processes, we present results of a study using quantitative content analysis and social network analysis in a complementary fashion. First, we used quantitative content analysis to identify the forms of learning presence reflected in students' contributions to online discussions in a graduate level course. Next, we used social network analysis to assess how those forms of learning presence correlated with the social positions students held within those interactional spaces. By showing the positions of students (indicating who shared knowledge with who), the social network analysis allowed us to assess the value of the forms of contributions the students made to the online dialogue in which they constructed and shared knowledge. We found that the students who demonstrated better self-and co-regulation took up more advantageous positions in the social network analysis, hence promoted better opportunities for learning. Our results extend and confirm both the CoI framework and previous research using social network analysis in investigation of online learning.

A study of students’ sense of learning community in online environments

ABSTRACT This paper looks first at some of the often unspoken epistemological, philosophical, and... more

Faculty roles and satisfaction in asynchronous learning networks

Learning together online: Research on asynchronous learning networks, 2005

Leveling the Playing Field: A Study of Captioned Interactive Video for Second Language Learning

Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2000

Research on computer-assisted and video-based educational techniques has almost invariably found ... more

SUNY Learning Network and Coursespace Student Survey Spring 2006

Using Focus Groups to Study ALN Faculty Motivation

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Mar 1, 2010

What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching i... more What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching in online environments? And what are the specific kinds of experiences that underlie and explain the importance of these factors? One goal of this study was to add to understanding of these issues, but the primary purpose of this study is determining how well these questions can be answered using the method of structured focus groups. This paper describes the methods and results of a pilot study conducted using four focus group interviews of faculty experienced in teaching using "Asynchronous Learning Networks" (ALN) at one university, and a single focus group at a second university in order to explore generalizability. For the university at which four group interviews were conducted, the rank orders of leading motivators and demotivators were quite consistent. Leading motivators include the flexibility allowed by being able to teach "anytime/anywhere;" better/more personal interaction and community building supported by the medium; the technical and creativity challenges offered by this mode of teaching; being able to reach more (and more diverse) students; and better course management. Major sources of dissatisfaction are more work, medium limitations, lack of adequate support and policies for teaching online, and the fact that the medium is not a good fit for some students. Very similar results were found through the replication focus group conducted at a different institution.

Increasing Access to Higher Education: A study of the diffusion of online teaching among 913 college faculty

by Alexandra M . Pickett and Peter Shea

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2005

Online learning environments provide an unprecedented opportunity to increase student access to h... more Online learning environments provide an unprecedented opportunity to increase student access to higher education. Accomplishing this much needed goal requires the active participation and cooperation of university faculty from a broad spectrum of institutional settings. Although online learning has seen rapid growth in recent years, it remains a relatively small percentage of the entire curriculum of higher education today. As a relatively recent development, online teaching can be viewed through the lens of diffusion of innovation research. This paper reports on research from 913 professors from community colleges, four-year colleges, and university centers in an attempt to determine potential barriers to the continued growth in adoption of online teaching in higher education. It is concluded through factor and regression analysis that four variables are significantly associated with faculty satisfaction and their likelihood, therefore, to adopt or continue online teaching -these include levels of interaction in their online course, technical support, a positive learning experience in developing and teaching the course, and the discipline area in which they taught. Recommendations for institutional policy, faculty development, and further research are included.

Learning Presence in the Community of Inquiry Model: Towards a Theory of Online Learner Self- and Co-regulation

Media multimedia and language learning: A review of the literature

Faculty Motivators and De-motivators for Teaching Online: Results of Focus Group Interviews at One University

2007 40th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'07), 2007

What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching i... more What are the most significant factors that motivate and inhibit faculty with regard to teaching in online environments? And what are the specific kinds of experiences that underlie and explain the importance of these factors? Exploring these questions through structured focus group discussions is the primary goal of this study. The second goal is to provide insight regarding how to engage and retain a larger number of faculty in online teaching. This paper describes the methods and results of a pilot study conducted using focus group interviews of faculty experienced in teaching using "Asynchronous Learning Networks" (ALN) at one university. Leading motivators are the flexibility allowed by being able to teach "anytime/anywhere;" better/more personal interaction and community building supported by the medium; the technical and creativity challenges offered by this mode of teaching; being able to reach more (and more diverse) students; and better course management. Major sources of dissatisfaction are more work, medium limitations, lack of adequate support and policies for teaching online, and the fact that the medium is not a good fit for some students.

Reconceptualizing the Community of Inquiry framework: Exploratory and confirmatory analysis

The Internet and Higher Education, 2014

Constructs requiring additional conceptualization within the Community of Inquiry framework for o... more Constructs requiring additional conceptualization within the Community of Inquiry framework for online learning include the self-and co-regulatory processes students bring to online learning. This paper extends previous efforts to advance the framework by addressing this gap. Quantitative content analysis and social network analysis were used with online discussions in a doctoral course to identify qualities of the discourse. The analysis focused on the three original presences of the framework (social, teaching, and cognitive presences) and learning presence, a recently proposed addition to the framework. First, frequencies of all four presences were calculated to report patterns in the discussions. Next, correlations were computed to investigate which presences correspond with the modes of critical thinking described in cognitive presence. Finally, students' positions of influence and prestige were analyzed in relation to their expressions of the four forms of presence. Findings raise questions about the framework's scope and point toward its reconceptualization.

A re-examination of the community of inquiry framework: Social network and content analysis

The Internet and Higher Education, 2010

This study provides a simultaneous examination of all components of the Community of Inquiry (CoI... more This study provides a simultaneous examination of all components of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) seeks to extend previous work into the nature, development, and relationships between the constructs of "presence" hypothesized in the model. To accomplish this goal we use content and social network analysis to examine the discourse produced among all participants in two semester-length online asynchronous college courses. Coding for the existence and relative intensity of forms of presence we identify patterns and relationships between instructors' and students' teaching presence and social presence and the corresponding quantity and levels of the cognitive presence that emerges. The study reveals complex relationships between these variables that have implications for the development of higher order thinking and meaningful learning in online environments. Study findings also have implications for online teaching practice and ongoing research on the CoI framework.

A study of teaching presence and student sense of learning community in fully online and web-enhanced college courses

by Peter Shea and Peter Shea

This paper focuses on two components of a model for online teaching and learning—“teaching presen... more This paper focuses on two components of a model for online teaching and learning—“teaching presence” and “community”. It is suggested that previous research points to the critical role that community plays in academic success and persistence in higher education. Through a review of recent literature it is proposed that teaching presence–viewed as the core roles of the online instructor–is a promising mechanism for developing learning community in online environments. This investigation presents a multi-institutional study of 1067 students across 32 different colleges that further substantiates this claim. An instrument to assess instructor teaching presence (“The Teaching Presence Scale”) is presented and validated. Factor and regression analysis indicate a significant link between students' sense of learning community and effective instructional design and “directed facilitation” on the part of course instructors, and highlights interesting differences between online and classroom environments. Alternative hypotheses regarding student demographics associated with variables such as age (the “net generation” effect) and gender are also examined. Despite recent assertions that younger students are or soon will be too sophisticated to “feel at home” in largely text- based asynchronous learning environments, no significant effects were found by demographic differences examined. Recommendations for online course design, pedagogy, and future research are included.

Correlating community college students' perceptions of community of inquiry presences with their completion of blended courses

by Peter Shea and Edward Volchok

The Internet and Higher Education, 2014

Building Knowledge Building Communities: Consistency, Contact and Communication in the Virtual Classroom

by Peter Shea, Eric Fredericksen, and Alexandra M . Pickett

Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2001

... 23(4) 359-383, 2000 BUILDING KNOWLEDGE BUILDING COMMUNITIES: CONSISTENCY, CONTACT AND COMMUNI... more

Leveling the Playing Field: A Study of Captioned Interactive Video for Second Language Learning

Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2000

Research on computer-assisted and video-based educational techniques has almost invariably found ... more

Cognitive presence and online learner engagement: a cluster analysis of the community of inquiry framework

Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 2009

In this paper we make the case that online learning continues to grow at a rapid rate and that un... more In this paper we make the case that online learning continues to grow at a rapid rate and that understanding this innovative mode of education requires analysis that is both conceptually and empirically driven. This study inquires into the concept of cognitive presence a multivariate measure of significant learning derived from the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework . The CoI framework conceptualizes online knowledge building as a result of collaborative work among members in learning communities characterized by instructional orchestration appropriate to the online environments (teaching presence) and a supportive and collaborative online setting (social presence). We present results of a study of 5000 online learners to attempt to further validate the CoI framework and articulate the relationships among the constructs within it. Utilizing cluster analysis we propose that the three forms of presence that characterize the CoI framework can be understood through an equilibrium model and that this model has important implications for the design of online instruction and the success of collaborative online learning.

The Community of Inquiry framework meets the SOLO taxonomy: a process‐product model of online learning

Educational Media International, 2011

Factors influencing faculty satisfaction with online teaching and learning in higher education

by Alexandra M . Pickett, Eric Fredericksen, and Peter Shea

Distance Education, 2009

…100% of faculty reported that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the SUNY Learnin... more …100% of faculty reported that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the SUNY Learning Network." Spring 1999 SLN Faculty Satisfaction Survey The State University of New York (SUNY) Learning Network (SLN) is the on-line instructional program created for the 64 colleges and nearly 400,000 students of SUNY. The foundation of the program is FACTORS INFLUENCING FACULTY SATISFACTION WITH ASYNCHRONOUS TEACHING AND LEARNING college programs in the SUNY system: the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at the University at Albany (UA), and the Internet Academy (IA) of Herkimer County Community College (HCCC). These case studies present and examine important evidence of faculty satisfaction from a single-institution and individual-faculty perspective. FACTORS INFLUENCING FACULTY SATISFACTION WITH ASYNCHRONOUS TEACHING AND LEARNING

Does online learning impede degree completion? A national study of community college students

Computers & Education, 2014

Using a nationally representative sample (The Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey, BPS 04/09),... more Using a nationally representative sample (The Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey, BPS 04/09), this study examined the associations between enrollment in credit-bearing distance education courses and degree attainment. We sought to determine whether US students enrolled in distance education courses during their first year of study at a community college tend to complete a degree (certificate, associate, or bachelor's) at significantly lower rates than those who were not enrolled in such courses or programs. Consistent with previous large-scale research at the State level in Virginia and Washington (Smith Jaggars & Xu, 2010; Xu & Smith Jaggars, 2011), we hypothesized that community college students who participate in distance education in early semesters graduate at lower rates than students who do not. Contrary to expectations, the study found that controlling for relevant background characteristics; students who take some of their early courses online or at a distance have a significantly better chance of attaining a community college credential than do their classroom only counterparts. These results imply that a new model of student retention in the age of the internet, one that assumes transactional adaptation, may be warranted.

Online learner self regulation: Learning presence, viewed through quantitative content-and social network analysis

by Peter Shea and Jane Wilde

This paper presents an extension of an ongoing study of online learning framed within the Communi... more This paper presents an extension of an ongoing study of online learning framed within the Community of Inquiry model in which we further examine a new construct labeled as 'learning presence.' We use learning presence to refer to the iterative processes of forethought and planning, monitoring and adapting strategies for learning, and reflecting on results that successful students use to regulate their learning in online, interactive environments. To gain insight into these processes, we present results of a study using quantitative content analysis and social network analysis in a complementary fashion. First, we used quantitative content analysis to identify the forms of learning presence reflected in students' contributions to online discussions in a graduate level course. Next, we used social network analysis to assess how those forms of learning presence correlated with the social positions students held within those interactional spaces. By showing the positions of students (indicating who shared knowledge with who), the social network analysis allowed us to assess the value of the forms of contributions the students made to the online dialogue in which they constructed and shared knowledge. We found that the students who demonstrated better self-and co-regulation took up more advantageous positions in the social network analysis, hence promoted better opportunities for learning. Our results extend and confirm both the CoI framework and previous research using social network analysis in investigation of online learning.

A study of students’ sense of learning community in online environments

ABSTRACT This paper looks first at some of the often unspoken epistemological, philosophical, and... more

Faculty roles and satisfaction in asynchronous learning networks

Learning together online: Research on asynchronous learning networks, 2005