An Investigation of Graduate Students’ Help-Seeking Experiences, Preferences and Attitudes in Online Learning

ABSTRACT

This study explored graduate students’ help-seeking preferences, attitudes and experiences based on the online classes they took at a Midwestern higher education institution. The findings indicated that the majority of the students used self-regulatory strategies in their help-seeking process striving for independent mastery of learning. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data led to four themes with respect to the help-seeking experiences of online students: Asynchronous learning; help-seeking process and strategies; self-regulation and goal orientation; student characteristics and previous help-seeking experience. The researchers suggest that help-seeking mechanisms and tools need to be structured into online classes utilizing formative assessment, collaborative community of learners and technologies that will facilitate student help-seeking.