Online modes of study have been found to be equivalent to on-campus environments with respect to key outcomes such as student academic performance ( Magagula and Ngwenya, 2004 McPhee and Söderström, 2012) and student satisfaction ( Palmer, 2012). Changes to Australian funding policy have also enabled more public universities to invest in online offerings ( Kemp and Norton, 2014), contributing to the continuing growth of this sector. Recent scoping reports of the Australian Higher Education sector have highlighted continual, rapid growth in online enrollments, but also a degree of “blurring” of boundaries, due to the increased adoption of technologies to support the on-campus learning experience ( Norton and Cherastidtham, 2014 Norton and Cakitaki, 2016). Similar trends have been noted in the Australian context. As many as six million students in the USA were undertaking online education in 2015, with nearly five million of these students studying an undergraduate college (tertiary) qualification ( Allen and Seaman, 2017).
Demand for more intensive, short-term courses that provide opportunities for up-skilling has increased in the wake of massive open online courses (MOOCs), and this increased demand has in turn expanded the availability of online degree programs. The scope and availability of online offerings continues to expand globally. Further research is imperative to determine predictors of success in online intensive learning environments. It is suggested that the accelerated nature of learning in intensive settings may place additional demands on students, instructors, and support mechanisms. The current paper explores known best practice principles for online instructors, students, and student support and considers how these might apply to intensive online environments. Prior literature has established key success factors for non-intensive (12–13 weeks) online offerings for teachers, skill development is critical to promote a flexible, responsive approach and maintain technological capabilities for students, an ability to navigate the technology, interact with the learning environment in meaningful ways, and self-regulate learning is important, as the absence of physical infrastructure and opportunities for face-to-face interactions in online environments places a greater emphasis on alternate forms of communication and support. Education institutions are moving to intensive modes of online study delivered in 6- to 8-week study periods which offer more frequent intake periods. 3Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australiaĭemand for flexible online offerings has continued to increase as prospective students seek to upskill, re-train, and undertake further study.2Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.1Monash Online-Psychology Education Division (MO-PED), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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