Quality aspects in online learning environments Student perspectives on conditions for experiencing quality within a teacher program at university level in Sweden

Abstract

Aim: This Master thesis study aim is to highlight the quality aspects from a student point of view, the demands and expectations of being a student in a higher education online based environment. By asking students to reflect on their online learning environment, important aspects from a student point of view will be explored, the student perspective and the student experience of quality aspects when creating and facilitating a high-quality learning environment engaging the students in the teaching and learning process throughout the course will be the focus. Also, the community created in the online environment based on the aspects stated by the students will be analyzed taking into consideration the subject learning and the social interaction taking place. Theory: The theoretical framework chosen for this study is Communities of Practice in E-learning CoPE (Chikh & Berkani, 2010). CoPE offers a structure designed to create and share knowledge in a systematic way, while working in an online course environment. In the study, the CoPE will be used as a framework for understanding important aspects from a student point of view when studying in an online course community, along with analyzing the student´s role as a member of the online community. Method: The method used to process the data collected from an online survey is thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Thematic analysis offers an accessible and theoretically flexible approach, not wedded to a specific theoretical framework. However, the connection to a particular theoretic framework is important, to create clarity and put the assumptions of the nature of the data collected in relation to a theory where the data is validated. In the case of the study this theoretical framework is Communities of Practice in E-learning CoPE (Chikh & Berkani, 2010). Results: The results of the study conducted show, considering relevant research in the field, that students in a course in an online learning environment contribute much to the outcome of experienced quality of the learning process, by taking active part in social interaction activities thereby building 3 subject knowledge along with a shared learning experience. Aspects put forward by the students included the importance of communication and of belonging and being part of a solid facilitated structure. Working together and sharing knowledge lay the foundation for subject learning and social learning interaction thereby deepening the meaningfulness, the motivation and the ability for students to reach the learning outcomes. Discussion: This limited study, based on a small group of online university students, is in line with research in the field (Kostiainen et al., 2025), which suggests it may be applied on a broader scale. CoPE emphasizes active roles for learners which requires a framework supporting safety, exploration and flexibility in online environments (Conrad & Openo, 2018). As global participation in online education grows, a systematic design of high-quality environments becomes essential for student belonging and engagement (Kostianien et al., 2025). Conclusions: The study highlights that students significantly influence the perceived quality of online learning by actively engaging in social interaction and shared knowledge building processes. High quality within online education requires transparent communication and a course design which incorporates the student voices being put at the center of the learning process. When student engagement is aligned with subject learning, sustainable high-quality online education can be developed, which becomes increasingly important as digital learning continues to evolve.