Delivery Style Moderates Study Habits in an Online Nutrition Class

ObjectiveTo 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.MethodsAudiorecorded 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.ResultsThree themes emerged that described factors moderating study habits in an Internet nutrition course: keeping up, e-mail fatigue, and wayfinding.Conclusions and ImplicationsA 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.”