The Project
For my Master of Education capstone, I designed and conducted an action research study exploring whether prompt, personalized feedback could improve adult learner success in an asynchronous online course. I developed an eight-hour Resume Optimization course and worked with ten adult learners, intentionally building communication, encouragement, and individualized feedback into the learning experience.
Rather than defining success for the learners, I wanted them to define it for themselves. The study examined changes in their perceptions of success, confidence, communication, and support as they progressed through the course.
The Process
I began with a review of research on adult online learners, focusing on communication, learner support, social presence, and prompt feedback. I then designed the Resume Optimization course around those findings, intentionally incorporating personalized instructor communication and feedback throughout the experience.
Ten adult learners participated in the study. After each of the course's three modules, participants completed the same 20-item questionnaire measuring factors including perceived success, communication, confidence, support, and satisfaction. I compared their responses across the three modules to identify changes as learners progressed through the course.
The Result
The results supported my hypothesis. Across the study, learners reported substantial increases in perceived success, with average success scores increasing 75% by course completion. The findings also reinforced the importance of purposeful communication and personalized feedback in helping adult online learners feel supported and successful.
Beyond completing my M.Ed., this project gave me the opportunity to bring together many parts of my work that I still care deeply about: adult learning, instructional design, learner experience, research, and the very human side of online education.
Want the research-nerd version? Read the full capstone on ResearchGate.