Abstract
This dissertation followed a three-article format. Each article explored some aspect of improving the quality of online student learning experiences by investigating various professional development techniques for remote adjunct instructors. The first article (Chapter 2) investigated the relationship between online instructor self-efficacy and student satisfaction at a private university in the northwestern United States. Research was conducted by comparing student evaluations with an online instructor self-efficacy survey distributed to instructors and students within the same online program. The second article (Chapter 3) studied self-regulated professional development for remote instructors in mandatory Communities of Practice (CoP). It triangulated data from remote instructor artifacts, observations gathered from an online instructor social networking site, and instructor focus groups to reach final conclusions. Finally, the third article (Chapter 4) explored the connection between organizational learning and professional development for remote instructors based on principles of adult learning and mandatory CoPs. By following naturalistic inquiry and analyzing observations and focus groups with remote leadership at the university, it created an overall story of professional development within the online learning organization. Chapter Five tied the three research articles together, concluding that a student's class standing significantly affected their perception of online courses, and that mandatory online CoPs provided effective professional development for remote adjuncts through self-regulated learning environments. Fostering better communication channels between adjunct instructors and online administrators through the CoP environment would allow the university to better align individual and institutional goals in order to improve the quality of online student learning.