Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2014, Instructional Technology (Education)

This study aimed to examine whether cognitive, social, and teaching presence were significant predictors of the overall students′ satisfaction of the online program in one of the largest Saudi universities. The used research design was non-experimental and correlational in nature. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine to what extent did cognitive, social, and teaching presence predict the overall students′ satisfaction. The data in this quantitative study was collected using a self-report survey. The target population was students who joined the online program, the developed Entesab program, in one of the largest Saudi universities in the eastern region. The findings of this study showed that overall regression, which had social and teaching presence, was statistically significant, F(2, 811) = 180.291, p < .05. Social presence and teaching presence both were found to explain 31.4% of the variance in students′ satisfaction. The overall regression, which predicted students′ satisfaction from social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence, was statistically significant, F(2, 811) = 166.18, p < .05, R2 = .38. The three presences together explained 38% of the variance in students′ satisfaction. Cognitive presence was found to have the largest contribution in predicting students′ satisfaction and it was a better predictor of students′ satisfaction compared with teaching presence and social presence. Due to the importance of cognitive, social, and teaching presence in predicting students′ satisfaction, it is recommended that improving these factors in the online courses be taken into consideration. Providing workshops to the online instructors was one of the recommendations made in order to help in improving faculty knowledge regarding the Community of Inquiry elements in the online environment. Another recommendation to the online instructors is to provide timely feedback, interact, and prepare well for the class activities and assignments. (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Physical Activity and Educational Services

Projections call for the proportion of students enrolled in blended courses to outpace the proportion of students in totally online courses in a few years. Yet the literature indicates that we know little about how undergraduates and graduate students learn in blended environments. In addition, few theoretical models have been developed specifically for online or blended learning. One such model the Community of Inquiry framework. The purpose of this study was to investigate how well the Community of Inquiry model explains discussion interactions among teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence over time and in different group modes to produce a worthwhile educational experience. Specifically, an undergraduate/graduate-level inquiry-based course at a large Midwestern university about the philosophical and historical roots of adult education in America was the context of the study. A quantitative content analysis of transcripts from one group (n = 4) that met via synchronous chats and another group (n = 5) that met face to face were examined. Statements in the transcripts were transformed to quantitative data for analysis within the framework of a mixed MANOVA design. Results found that group mode had an effect on frequency of social presence and cognitive presence. The face-to-face group generated more than twice the frequency of social presence indicators and nearly three times the frequency of cognitive presence indicators than the online group. There was no difference over time on the frequency of teaching presence, social presence, or cognitive presence for either the online or face-to-face group.

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Psychology

In the current VR literature, postural sway analysis and survey methodologies are useful ways that researchers look to measure participant behavior and experience, but as they are typically performed separately, insights into participant experiences may be limited. The current project sought to employ both methods at the same time to gather new insights from participants as they go through radical changes in their avatar (virtual self) while performing two tasks in a virtual environment. This work sought to demonstrate the effectiveness of different surveys in capturing participant experience; demonstrate how postural sway analysis can provide insight into participants' experience; and illustrate how combining both datasets allow for a more complete representation of participants' phenomenological and behavioral experience in VR. We discovered that while the two types of data were not directly tied together, experience from participants could be partially explained from the behavioral measures collected.

Master of Music (MM), Ohio University, 2022, Music Therapy (Fine Arts)

The number of individuals diagnosed with dementia each year is on the rise in the United States, and with this burden comes the need for high quality long-term care. Music therapists are part of the diverse interdisciplinary team that is required to address the needs of the whole person in long-term memory care settings. Music therapy can uniquely benefit individuals with dementia, however, there are many challenges to facilitating therapeutic outcomes with individuals with limited communication such as those with advanced stages of dementia. The aim of this study was to explore a model of therapeutic presence in the context of music therapy with an individual with dementia who has impaired communication. I used a convergent parallel mixed methods design to capture my and the participant's perspective of therapeutic presence across five individual music therapy sessions. Through pre-session and during session strategies, I aimed to cultivate my own therapeutic presence as well as create opportunities for moments of shared presence. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through forms of self-reflection and post-session video observation. Through integration and interpretation of the data, I identified nine moments of shared presence. Therapeutic presence strategies were found to be beneficial in pre-sessions and during music therapy sessions, and the findings suggest music may be highly influential on the experience of therapeutic presence. There are many positive implications of translating a therapeutic presence model to music therapy when working with individuals with dementia, including reduced stress and burnout for music therapists, improved therapeutic relationships and treatment outcomes, and enhanced quality of care in long-term care facilities. However, there are also several adaptations related to the unique inclusion of music in the therapeutic presence model and barriers that occur when applied with individuals with cognitive and communicative (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, Communication

The purpose of this study was threefold. First, it sought to conceptually compare two constructs that have numerous similarities, social presence and mediated immediacy. Second, it attempted to empirically test the relationship between those constructs after determining that the conceptual similarities suggested an overlapping relationship. Third, the study sought to determine if aspects of the communicative message, such as the type of target or level of interactivity, influenced how socially present or immediate an individual perceived that message to be. Confirmatory factor analyses, independent groups t-tests, and ANCOVAs were utilized to test the research questions that were posed. The results indicated no uniform effect of target or interactivity on ratings of social presence and mediated immediacy. Additionally, the confirmatory factor analysis pointed toward the independent relationship proposed in existing research as the best model. Limitations such as poor measurement scales and group characteristics could have influenced these findings. Thus, more research attempting to identify the relationship between social presence and mediated immediacy is warranted.

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2011, Art

This thesis demonstrate my artistic practice and research exploring empathy and human-machine interaction in projects involving robotic art and video installations and performance. The works investigate emotions and embodiment, presence and absence, relationships and loss, and ways to implicate these ideas in encounters between technology-based artwork and the viewer. This paper presents the framework of my practice, followed by descriptions, statements, and excerpts from my journal describing how, for both of my main projects developed during the past two years in the MFA program at The Ohio State University, I went through several numerous stages in which the projects were designed, tested and were modified as my new designs evolved, failed, and were modified. The purpose of this thesis is to show my process, to establish the continuum and consistency of my research and interests, and to expand on how my work relates to the traditions and discourse of new media art.

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Chemistry

Estrogen receptor (ER) is a ligand-inducible enhancer protein that is a member of nuclear hormone receptor super family. Estrogen receptors share a highly conserved structure with other members of the steroid receptor super family and a common mechanism, regulating gene transcription. Estrogen receptors reside in the nucleus and in the absence of hormone signal bind to other proteins. However, in the presence of hormone, the receptor dissociates from the other proteins and dimerizes. The dimeric form of estrogen receptor is the active form which binds to a specific DNA sequence, known as the estrogen response element (ERE) in the regulatory region of the target gene. The estrogen response element (ERE) consists of asymmetric or pseudo asymmetric, palindromic repeat of two half-site sequences (cHERE) 5'-AGGTCA-3', separated by 3bps. HMG domain proteins are architectural proteins involved in chromatin function and have been shown to stabilize the ER/ERE binding. One aims of this thesis is to determine how differences in spacer length between the ERE half-site affect on ER binding affinity in the presence and absence of the coactivator protein, HMGB-1. The binding affinity and selectivity of the two forms of the estrogen receptor (a and a) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) for cHERE, in three different orientations (direct repeats, inverted repeats and everted repeats) were studied by using the gel mobility shift assay (EMSA). ERs, in contrast to GR, showed a strong cooperativity when interacting with direct repeats, inverted repeats as well as everted repeats.

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2025, Education

Storytelling, when using the National Storytelling Network's definition, “the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener's imagination,” can be found in most classrooms around the world. If we agree with Walter Fisher and see stories as content with “coherence” and “fidelity” (Fisher, 1987), then much of the communication in classrooms could be considered a form of storytelling. A real question then becomes apparent: why aren't teachers given extensive training and tools to strengthen their storytelling skills? Restorative Storytelling, a practice I developed out of my years as an elementary school teacher and decades as a professional storyteller, was designed for educators who wish to use storytelling as a teaching tool, as a classroom management tool, and as a tool for supporting communication in the classroom. This evaluation of the Restorative Storytelling program lives at the crossroads of three key theoretical frameworks: the Narrative Paradigm, dialogic practice, and Systems Leadership. Walter Fisher's Narrative Paradigm is used to seek a common definition of storytelling, and in particular Restorative Storytelling. Dialogic practices like Open Dialogue and Sustaining Dialogue offer a comprehensive and elegant protocol for deep, collaborative communication. Systems Leadership is an evolving framework for how a program like Restorative Storytelling and its evaluation can collectively thrive for all stakeholders. I used an explanatory sequential design which led with quantitative analysis of data collected from three separate surveys, the results of which were corroborated or explained by a series of stakeholder interviews using Participatory Action Research and thematic analysis. The results found that the program was indeed relevant and effective for the participants, while uncovering emergent indications for ways to improve the program and its continued evaluatio (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2025, Environment and Natural Resources

Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) populations in Ohio have experienced a precipitous decline since the 1980s, attributed to the loss of early successional habitats, forest maturation, and additional pressures such as West Nile Virus (WNV). This study evaluates the current state of ruffed grouse habitat in southeastern Ohio through a multi-scale approach that integrates presence-only species distribution modeling, field habitat assessments, and predictive analyses of forest management practices. The species distribution model, based on forest type, stand age, and forest loss data, identified areas with a high probability of grouse presence, primarily on state and federally managed lands. Key predictors of grouse presence included young forest stands (5–15 years old), particularly those with oak-hickory (Quercus spp.–Carya spp.) overstories, dense understories of red maple (Acer rubrum), greenbrier (Smilax spp.), and brambles (Rubus spp.), as well as steep, southeast- or east-facing slopes. Field assessments conducted at Zaleski State Forest, Vinton State Forest, and Waterloo Wildlife Area confirmed the critical role of specific habitat features, including high stem densities, abundant forage, and downed woody debris, in supporting grouse populations. These areas demonstrated varying habitat qualities, with Zaleski offering the highest forage availability and Vinton showing the densest tree stands. Habitat suitability indices (HSI) derived from these assessments were further analyzed using the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) to evaluate the impacts of different silvicultural treatments, including clearcutting, shelterwood cuts, and group selection. The results underscored the importance of active forest management in maintaining and enhancing high-quality habitat conditions for ruffed grouse. This study highlights the importance of targeted conservation strategies to sustain Ohio's ruffed grouse populations. Recommendations include the implementation of rotational s (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2024, English

This paper brings together Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway (1925), Graham Greene's The End of the Affair (1951), and Muriel Spark's The Driver's Seat (1970) to explore the landscape of secular modernity and femininity in twentieth-century Britain, ultimately illuminating the ways that modernity is haunted by persistent presence. Robert Orsi writes in his 2016 book History and Presence that modernity is characterized by a spiritual absence (a vacuum in which spiritual presence, God or otherwise, cannot be accessed), leaving the modern subject isolated and alienated. Three female characters in these novels — Miss Kilman, Sarah Miles, and Lise — experience this absence in various ways. Through Miss Kilman's story, Woolf's novel illustrates how absence is institutionally enforced in public society. Despite Woolf's identity as a secular author, Mrs. Dalloway demonstrates surprisingly spiritual themes. Catholic convert Greene later uses Sarah Miles' controversial journey towards faith and eventual sainthood to attempt to enforce presence. However, the varied critical reception of The End of the Affair revealed that its secular, modern readership was yet ready to accept such a blatant account of presence active in public. By the time Muriel Spark pens her biting and satirical novella in 1970, presence has disappeared entirely; Lise can only articulate that she is seeking “the lack of an absence.” I argue that The Driver's Seat becomes an experiment in what a world devoid of presence would look like; when society has so structurally and institutionally limited the modern subject's access to presence, she can only seek to escape absence, which underscores how women's “liberation” actually manifests itself in a secular world. This paper concludes with an examination of the modern novel as a sacred space within which readers can encounter presence.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Food Science and Technology

Typical sensory and consumer testing is often done in isolated booths where external environmental stimuli and extrinsic product attributes are removed or controlled for the purpose of yielding responses from panelists that are influenced solely by a product's intrinsic sensorial products. The issue with this is that food is not consumed in such neutral environments, but rather in environments with various contextual elements that influence human behavior and perception of food. There is currently a growing body of research investigating the reintroduction of contextual elements into sensory and consumer tests using immersive technologies. A gap that currently lies in this body of literature is the impact of social context on panelist perception, liking, and behavior. This is a large oversight as many food consumption scenarios are completed in social contexts. In these commensal scenarios, humans exhibit behaviors and changes in perception as a result of social elements in the environment. By not including these social elements, responses from panelists may not be reflective of real-life perceptions of food. Therefore, we aimed to introduce social elements to sensory evaluations using immersive technologies such as video walls and VR headsets. In Chapter 3, panelists evaluated popcorn samples in three different environments: a solo environment, and two environments where social context was added via video of an actor eating popcorn playing on a video wall. The two social environments differed in rate of popcorn consumption of the actor. Results revealed that panelists consumed more popcorn when evaluating in the social environments than in the solo environment. Ecological validity increased in the social environments as evidenced by the observation of the social facilitation of eating, a phenomenon commonly observed in commensal scenarios. In Chapter 4, we investigated emotional responses to a positive carbonated cola and a negative flat cola when evaluations occur (open full item for complete abstract)

BS, Kent State University, 2024, College of Nursing

Family Presence During Resuscitation (FPDR) first proposed in 1987, has been recommended by numerous professional nursing organizations. Although studies have been conducted investigating the views of family members and healthcare professionals concerning FPDR, little is known about perceptions of nursing students. Due to this gap in the literature, we investigated the attitudes of nursing students toward FPDR as they will be future members of the largest healthcare profession in the United States. This study was guided by the Relationship Based Care Model, which is a way to provide care for our patients and their families. A descriptive cross-sectional study using Qualtrics was designed to identify the attitudes of nursing students from the largest BSN program in Northeast Ohio toward FPDR. The secondary aim was to investigate if age and work experience in a healthcare setting impacted the attitudes of nursing students towards FPDR. Funding for the project was provided by Kent State University Research Council, and Institutional Review Board approval was obtained prior to data collection which commenced in Summer 2023. By the end of Fall 2023 semester, a total of 96 participants were enrolled in the study which yielded a response rate of 53.6% of 179 eligible students enrolled in a senior-level critical care course. This study did not reach statistical significance in attitudes toward FPDR based on age and work experience in healthcare. However, 67.2% of the participants reported they would support FPDR.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Nursing: Nursing - Doctoral Program

Background: Family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) was first introduced into clinical practice about thirty years ago in Foote Hospital in the U.S. when the chaplain disagreed with the commonly followed practice of excluding the family members from the patient's resuscitation. Since then, several attempts have been made to integrate this care practice into routine patient care. Moreover, several interventions to enhance the perception of FPDR and improve the daily practice of this care practice are developed earlier, including education and policy making. However, nurses' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors are widely varied regarding the implementation of FPDR in critical and emergency care settings. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation within the hospital is mostly performed in the intensive care unit, cardiac care unit, and emergency department. As a result, critical care and emergency nurses are front-line healthcare providers who influence the practice of FPDR. Therefore, it was essential to understand the perspectives, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of critical care and emergency nurses when it comes to the practice of FPDR. Aims: The specific aims of the dissertation were to describe nurses' perceptions and attitudes regarding FPDR and investigate the possible barriers, facilitators, benefits, and risks or challenges associated with practicing FPDR in critical care and emergency settings. Methods: This manuscript-option dissertation was composed of three interrelated projects that collectively address the dissertation's specific aims. The first project was an integrative review to investigate the current evidence on FPDR practice in critical care and emergency settings. The second project was a descriptive qualitative study where 21 registered nurses from critical care units and emergency departments from hospitals across three states in the Midwest U.S. completed interviews about their perceptions, attitudes, benefits, risks, and barriers to p (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Food Science and Technology

Food and beverage consumption occur in contextual settings where consumers are exposed to various environmental cues important for shaping product expectations. Traditional sensory and consumer testing conducted in isolated, neutral booths lacks ecological validity, which can lead to uninformative results and potential costly product failures. To facilitate evaluations reflective of real-world experiences and reliable data collection, sensory scientists have recently compiled a growing body of research using virtual reality (VR) immersive technologies to restore relevant context during consumer sensory testing. While promising effects of immersive contexts were found on consumer perception and acceptance data, limitations of existing sensory VR systems that prevent widespread adoption of the technologies include a diminished sense of presence, unrealistic visuals, and the lack of interactive capabilities enabling the integration of real-world features that facilitate taste testing and/or data collection. Therefore, we aimed to develop a user-friendly, interactive 360° VR system for sensory and consumer testing. Two system iterations with VR controllers (System 1) and hand tracking (System 2) as interactive techniques were assessed in two separate studies for their ability to deliver realistic consumption contexts and to facilitate a virtual product evaluation experience (Chapter 3). Participants found both systems usable and experienced high levels of presence and engagement during testing. System 1 (VR controllers) performed better at interactions with the virtual tablet interface to answer questionnaires, whereas interactions with the food objects were easier using System 2 (hand tracking). Prior research has applied the same consumption context for all participants without accounting for varying individual consumption habits; evaluating products in a consumption scenario of low personal relevance can also lead to misleading consumer response (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Communication

This dissertation tests how contingency and personalization influence the way audiences engage with outgroup media characters. It is argued that the affordances of contingency and personalization can make exposure to media characters more akin to face-to-face social interaction. by experiencing social presence and parasocial interaction (PSI). As such, media with contingency and personalization should better elicit the psychological states of social presence and PSI will allow audiences to like these transgender media characters, which in turn reduces prejudice towards transgender people. After pretesting a stimulus that manipulates these affordances, a 2 (high contingency v. no contingency) x 2 (high personalization v. no personalization) factorial experiment was conducted on an online adult population. Results suggested that media with contingency caused audiences to experience more social presence and PSI. The personalization manipulation did not. Experiencing social presence predicted more liking of a transgender media character and lower prejudice towards transgender women. PSI predicted higher prejudice towards transgender women. Several theoretical implications and reflections are discussed.

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2021, Communication

The fields of holistic education and spiritual pedagogy suggest one of the most essential capacities for a teacher is to be present and/or demonstrate presence with students, however a gap exists in specifically defining what presence is and how to exhibit it with students communicatively. Some articles from the fields of mindfulness and contemplative studies suggest that contemplative practices may improve the capacity to be present. This research project sought to more deeply understand presence, define it, and explore the communication practices such as empathic listening, silence and immediacy behaviors holistic educators engage in when being present to students and demonstrating presence. The research questions included: RQ1: What life-experiences shape the way holistic educators communicate with students? RQ2: What contemplative practices do holistic educators use to prepare for communicating with students? RQ3: What communication practices do holistic educators use to be present with students? Using a qualitative approach, autoethnographic stories by the researcher and semi-structured interviews were conducted with six holistic educators. A thematic analysis found four main themes including holistic educators: (1) Combine conceptual and experiential approaches to learning; (2) Engage in contemplative practices daily to be present to students; (3) Seek to be present soulfully with their students, and (4) Communicate for communion. Several key concepts which emerged included presence, being present, communion, connectedness, darshan, student-centered learning, experiential learning, channeling, soulfulness and spirituality to name a few.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Environment and Natural Resources

The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) is Federally threatened and Ohio endangered. Accepted Ohio survey protocols includes visual encounter surveys (VES) and artificial cover (corrugated tin sheets) surveys. Although effective, these traditional methods require intensive field effort (~25 weekly visits). The Adapted-Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT) is a new low-effort camera trap and drift method for ectotherms and small mammals. However, the method has not been applied for Massasauga or in their habitats, or even evaluated beyond proof-of-concept. The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess AHDriFT as a wildlife survey tool; (2) compare AHDriFT efficacy for Massasauga presence-absence surveys to VES and tin surveys in terms of detection rates, detection probability, and cost-efficiency; (3) determine optimal AHDriFT deployment for Massasauga in terms of camera trap timing and length, array spatial placement, and weather influence; and (4) provide preliminary recommendations for a Massasauga survey protocol using AHDriFT. I deployed 15 Y-shaped AHDriFT arrays in fields with known Massasauga populations from March – October 2019 and 2020. In 2019, I compared arrays to prior VES and tin surveys, and assessed between-field detection covariates. In 2020, I evaluated concurrent surveys and assessed within-field detection covariates. Equipment for each array cost approximately US$1,570. Construction and deployment of each array took about three hours, with field servicing requiring 15 minutes per array. Arrays proved durable under wind, ice, snow, flooding, and heat. Processing two-weeks of images of 45 cameras averaged 13 person-hours. In 2019, arrays obtained 9,018 detections of 41 vertebrate species comprised of 5 amphibians, 13 reptiles (11 snakes), 16 mammals, and 7 birds. Arrays cumulatively detected all amphibians and 92% of expected snakes and small mammals. Arrays obtained a total of 206 Massasauga detections, 2 – 4 times that of (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 0, Instructional Technology (Education)

At a time when the world is facing a range of significant challenges, including a rise in air temperature, rapidly evolving droughts in some areas, and floods, new technology in education can help inform people of current issues that may not be close to them but, nevertheless, can have a significant impact in the future. Our planet has been warming steadily for over a century, and the preponderance of evidence has pointed at human action as the main contributor to the change (Hansen et al., 2010). The evolution of technology has brought tremendous change. Virtual Reality (VR), 360-degree video, has the potential to bring the environment to the students since it can provide a close to a real-life situation. The use of VR for educational purposes has been quite unknown to most school systems. There are many gaps that need to be investigated prior to the effective implementation of VR-learning, such as the factors that influence students' intention to use it. This study fulfilled some of these gaps by focusing on the potential of using VR for future education and raising awareness of the climate change occurring in remote areas, specifically tropical regions. The findings of this study will hopefully encourage students to play a more responsible role in the development and implementation of VR education worldwide and help enhance the academic quality of courses for instructors and students. This study examined students' behavioral intentions towards using VR in their learning about climate change utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model of Davis (1989), combined with the spatial presence experience scale (Hartmann et al., 2015). Phase 1 was created in order to understand students' salient beliefs about the use of VR for educational purposes and learning about climate change. Furthermore, 65 students participated in this phase and reported that VR can be beneficial for educational purposes to learn about global climate change, and 95.2% of participants fully agreed. Ph (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, Art

From 2017 to 2020, I conducted a series of artistic experiments that resulted in multiple sculptures and performance. The experiments explore the concept of the strange, presence and co-presence and examines how humans have and may confront what lies beyond the scope of the familiar. Subsequently, the 2018 series that utilize the wearable sculpture questions the possible materiality of absence. The thesis serves as the final report and record of the art practices during the three years. I hope that the record serves the academics and artists in the future who wish to explore the same topic.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Higher Education Administration

The purpose of this study was to provide a phenomenological description of peer interaction and to explore the sense of community experienced by online learners in an accelerated online course delivered asynchronously. Though research indicates the importance of peer interaction and community in online learning, and online learners indicate their desire to feel a sense of community in online courses, there is a gap in literature that qualitatively details the essence of peer interaction and online learners' perception of community. To address this gap, I interviewed six post-traditional online learners regarding their experiences interacting with peers and the way those experiences contributed to their sense of community in an accelerated online course. Five main themes emerged based on participants' experiences and perceptions: (1) Routine, (2) Technology, (3) Course Design, (4) Perceptions of Interaction, (5) Sense of Community. The findings represented throughout this research align with the two research questions that guided this study: (1) How do students describe their experiences interacting with peers in an accelerated online course? (2) How do students describe their experiences of interacting with peers as contributing to their sense of community in an accelerated online course? This research contributes to a deeper understanding of factors that shape peer interaction and the sense of community felt in an accelerated online learning context. The findings evidence implications for online pedagogy, learning management systems, and for the implementation of the Community of Inquiry framework. Future research that focuses on the experiences and perceptions of online learners who share similar or different demographic characteristics through various methods would enhance understanding of peer interaction and community in online learning contexts. The need for such research is evident as diverse student populations' exposure to learning through distance, onl (open full item for complete abstract)