Internet Learning Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 2015 | Page 3

Internet Learning Journal – Volume 4, Issue 1 – Spring 2015
Spring 2015 Issue
Letter from the Editor
Melissa Layne, Ed.D.
Spring is here, and for many of us, the weather is getting warmer, the days are longer, and
plants and flowers are beginning to emerge from Mother Earth. Following the cold, dreary
winter season, spring is a welcome seasonal change symbolizing brightness, growth and new
developments.
Our spring issue also captures the essence of newness, progress, and change. For example,
we have officially reached our 2-year anniversary mark--which in the world of publishing, is
a notable accomplishment, as this symbolizes potential longevity for the journal. Second, we
have also added several new interactive components including drop-down boxes,
accordions, slideshows and lightboxes. Third, we have incorporated a new section entitled,
“3 Questions for an Online Learning Leader” whereby we interview an expert in the field
of online learning by asking questions around current hot topics. Lastly, we have also
designed a fresh, new website that reflects our mission and further models innovative
thinking around online teaching, learning, and scholarship. We also continue to expand our
editorial reviewer board with world-renowned experts who have proven themselves as
leaders in online scholarly research.
Although this issue of the journal is not themed, as you peruse the articles within, you will
certainly notice several commonalities. Before revealing these commonalities, allow me to
take the opportunity to briefly highlight the contents of each exceptionally written and
insightful article.
Our first article, Strategies for Virtual Learning Environments: Focusing on Teaching
Presence and Teaching Immediacy is written by Misha Chakraborty and Fredrick Muyia
Nafukho, Texas A & M University. The purpose of this study was to establish factors
identified in previous studies that positively affect learners’ engagement in virtual learning
environments. The literature review highlights teacher presence and teacher immediacy in
online class settings, thereby providing practitioners with proven strategies and best
practices on the importance of instructor involvement in an online environment.
The second article, Students’ Perceptions of Online Course Quality: How Do They Measure
Up to the Research? is authored by Penny Ralston-Berg, Penn State World Campus, Janet
Buckenmeyer, Coastal Carolina University, Casimir Barczyk, and Emily Hixon, Purdue
University Calumet. The authors of this study investigated how students’ perceptions of
online course quality compared to those put forth in the Quality Matters rubric. Three
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