Objective: To report how the design of an online class affected student ability to stay on task, find critical resources, and communicate with the instructor via e-mail.
Methods: Audiorecorded focus group meetings at a United States university featured a structured approach to discussions among undergraduate students enrolled in an Internet nutrition class. Meeting transcripts were read and reread by a trained investigator, who coded concepts until themes coalesced, which were authenticated by college students taking online classes.
Results: Three themes emerged that described factors moderating study habits in an Internet nutrition course: keeping up, e-mail fatigue, and wayfinding.
Conclusions and implications: A well-designed online course plans for productive study habits by posting a schedule of events and maintaining a predictable pattern, supporting navigation that stimulates exploration and return visits to critical information, and constructing e-mail messages that convey a concise message and maximize "open and read."
Copyright © 2013 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.