Internet Learning Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2014 | Page 104

Internet Learning
all the products for the composite indirect
measure of attitudes.
For the indirect measure of norms,
each normative belief listed in Table 2 was
written as the subject to the statement
“think(s) that I should complete the TA-
MUCT peer review process for one online
course by the end of the current semester”
and was rated on a 7-point scale from 1
(extremely likely) to 7 (extremely unlikely).
Motivation to comply with each referent
was inserted in the blank “Generally
speaking, how much do you care what your
___ thinks you should do” and was rated
on a 7-point scale from 1 (not at all) to 7
(very much), which was reverse scored.
Lower scores indicate more supportive beliefs
regarding completing the peer review
process. Consistent with the Theory of
Planned Behavior model, each normative
belief was multiplied by the corresponding
motivation to comply prior to summing
all the products for the composite indirect
measure of norms.
For the indirect assessment of perceived
behavioral control, each control belief
listed in Table 3 was adapted to fit the
blank “How often do you encounter ___”
and was rated on a 7-point scale from 1
(very rarely) to 7 (very frequently). The
items regarding receiving assistance from
the Online Coordinator and receiving incentives
to complete work were reverse
scored. To assess the power of control factors,
each control belief was inserted at the
beginning of the statement “it would make
it more difficult (or easier as noted in Table
3) for me to complete the TAMUCT peer
review process for one online course by the
end of the current semester” and was rated
on a 7-point scale from 1 (strongly agree) to
7 (strongly disagree). All items were reverse
scored except the items regarding receiving
assistance from the Online Coordinator
and receiving incentives to complete work.
Lower scores indicate more supportive beliefs
regarding completing the peer review
process. Consistent with the Theory of
Planned Behavior model, each control belief
was multiplied by the corresponding
power of control factor prior to summing
all the products for the composite indirect
measure of perceived behavioral control.
Procedure
Our recently independent, regional
university began offering online courses in
Fall 2009 and became a QM-subscribing institution
in Fall 2010. Concurrently, the institution
submitted our “Institutional Plan
for Distance Education” to the state’s Higher
Education Coordinating Board, outlining
17 fully online programs to be implemented
over three years. During this high
online growth period, University leadership
was committed to providing institutional
supports (e.g., training, incentives, mentors)
to faculty to design high quality courses
and put in place a culture where online
quality was valued. In support of this goal,
the Online Coordinator (OC) position was
created in which one faculty member from
each college assumed part-time administrative
duties to facilitate and mentor faculty
teaching online courses. All OCs were QM
Certified Peer Reviewers and taught fully
online courses. As our procedures evolved,
QM training was made mandatory for
faculty teaching online courses, and submitting
a course for peer review became a
voluntary but incentivized option. The University’s
QM goal was that as many faculty
as possible would submit their courses for
peer review so that course improvements
could achieve design quality as demonstrated
through meeting QM standards. By
summer 2012, we had trained 56 of our faculty
members on the QM Rubric when we
introduced our peer review process.
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