The articles or works in this section are samples which provide an insight into my research interests.

• Beyond Being There: Practices that Establish Presence, Engage Students and Influence Intellectual Curiosity in a Structured Online Learning Environment. To fully understand teaching presence and its implications for the intellectual climate of an online classroom it is necessary to explore the phenomenon from the perspective of the instructors who experience it. Informed by the theoretical perspective of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model, the actions, intentions and perceptions of instructors were investigated through a collective case study. The goal of this study was to examine the decision processes employed in establishing teaching presence in a structured online environment in order to make a contribution to the body of knowledge from a practical pedagogical perspective. Presented at OLC Accelerate 2017. 
  • Orcutt, J. M., & Dringus, L. P. (2017). Beyond Being There: Practices that Establish Presence, Engage Students and Influence Intellectual Curiosity in a Structured Online Learning Environment. Online Learning, 21(3).
• Teaching Presence and Intellectual Climate in a Structured Online Learning Environment.  Teaching presence and its implications for the intellectual climate of an online classroom cannot be fully understood unless explored from the perspective of the instructors who experience it. Framed in the theoretical perspective of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model, this collective case study investigated the actions, intentions and perceptions of instructors with the intent of developing an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of teaching presence as it was established in a structured online learning environment.
  • Orcutt, J. M. (2016). Teaching Presence and Intellectual Climate in a Structured Online Learning Environment(Doctoral dissertation, Nova Southeastern University).
• Assessing Instructor Involvement in the Online Environment.  A primary responsibility of the instructor, in any learning environment, is the facilitation of discourse that brings about critical thinking and higher-order learning which result from articulation of thoughts and ideas with others. Interaction behaviors exhibited by the instructor (e.g., the frequency and volume of postings, the timing of feedback) influence the quality of facilitation in an asynchronous environment and serve as a vital component of what adult learners perceive as a successful learning experience. Presented at SALT 2010.

  • Orcutt, J.M. (2010). Assessing instructor involvement in the online environment at University of Fairfax. Proceedings of the Interactive Technologies 2010 Washington SALT Conference.

•  Using Blended Approaches to Increase the Success of Doctoral Students. Universities make sizable investments in resources related to the selection, admission and enrollment of students into doctoral programs. Because of this investment, attrition has significant implications for a program’s success. This paper discusses how transforming the online learning environment has the potential to create an inclusive and welcoming community that will satisfy and retain adult learners in these scholarly programs.
  • Orcutt, J.M., & Fleischman, N.S. (2009). Using blended approaches to increase the success of doctoral students. Proceedings of the Interactive Technologies 2009 Washington SALT Conference