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As technology advances, educational institutions work to appeal more to the nontraditional student often through the online platform. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2015, "5,954,121 students [were] enrolled in any distance education courses at degree-granting postsecondary institutions," and that number has continued to rise (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018, para. 1). Rapid growth within online programs requires rapid revision and constant reflection to meet the needs of students. Online education "has already succeeded in becoming an integral part of HE [Higher Education], and now it needs to turn its focus, from providing access to university education to increasing its quality" (Lee, 2017, p. 15). As online program advisors, professors, instructors, and instructional designers, we are tasked with improving the quality of our content, providing experiences to engage students, and conducting periodic research to gauge our progress.
THE STUDY PURPOSE
Typically, students enter online programs for the flexibility and convenience they provide (Gast 2013; Irani, Barbour Wilson, Slough, & Reiger, 2014). Coursework can be completed at home, after midnight, in pajamas, and with a glass of wine. Even though the nature of the online forum does not lend itself to the same kind of interaction that face-to-face instruction offers, institutions sometimes shy away from requiring much time in the field and often struggle to provide students with real-world interactions and experiences through an online forum. However, our communities and employers are seeking graduates who are well-prepared in their respective fields.
Trespalacios and Perkins (2016) found that there is a significant relationship between the learners' perception of learning in an online environment and their connection to their peers, the content, and the instruction. Therefore, we believed that project-based learning, such as field-based experiences, could be the answer to creating increased feelings of connectivity for distance education students. Project-based learning (PBL) within an online setting...