To increase academic rigor and student engagement in online learning, it is necessary that nursing educators identify internalized perceptions associated with what contributes to "effective" online instruction. Nursing faculty must understand the importance of effective online instruction, as many students seeking out this format for learning have tremendous extraneous obligations apart from their academic obligations.

Although much focus is given to the technological and instructional delivery aspects of online learning, there is also much research available that indicates that online learners perceive instructional effectiveness in the online classroom based on cognitive and social aspects more so than the mechanisms for delivery of content. The perception that online learners do not crave a socially intimate and cognitively meaningful learning experience is false, and often these aspects contribute the greatest to the student’s overall satisfaction with the online learning experience. Behaviors and actions that can be modeled and implemented quite easily in any online course that will significantly increase the effectiveness of online instruction are those that develop and promote communication, connectivity, and compassion. In fact, the Institute for Higher Education Policy’s 2000 report of benchmarks for successful online education emphasizes interaction and engagement in the online learning environment, beyond their focus on instructional delivery mechanisms and materials, course curriculum development, and content of the course itself. By implementing behaviors/actions that model connectivity, compassion, and communication, online learners experience a perceived increase in the quality of instruction they receive and an overall increase in program satisfaction, while faculty and the organization experience an increase in satisfaction due to improved faculty-student relationships, assurance of quality education for the community served, and intrinsic motivation for the provision of more meaningful learning. Key words: Online learning, Online instruction, Effective instruction, Distance learning, Nursing faculty, Communication, Connectivity, Compassion, Instructional delivery

Although much focus is given to the technological and instructional delivery aspects of online learning, there is also much research available that indicates that online learners perceive instructional effectiveness in the online classroom based on cognitive and social aspects more so than the mechanisms for delivery of content. The perception that online learners do not crave a socially intimate and cognitively meaningful learning experience is false, and often these aspects contribute the greatest to the students overall satisfaction with the online learning experience. Behaviors and actions that can be modeled and implemented quite easily in any online course that will significantly increase the effectiveness of online instruction are those that develop and promote communication, connectivity, and compassion. In fact, the Institute for Higher Education Policys 2000 report of benchmarks for successful online education emphasizes interaction and engagement in the online learning environment, beyond their focus on instructional delivery mechanisms and materials, course curriculum development, and content of the course itself. By implementing behaviors/actions that model connectivity, compassion, and communication, online learners experience a perceived increase in the quality of instruction they receive and an overall increase in program satisfaction, while faculty and the organization experience an increase in satisfaction due to improved faculty-student relationships, assurance of quality education for the community served, and intrinsic motivation for the provision of more meaningful learning.