Mind the Gaps: An Online Learning Center's Needs Assessment

A needs assessment was conducted at a learning center at one completely online institution to understand administrator, faculty, and student perceptions of the center's services and resources to uncover gaps between the current state and intended outcomes (personalized support, clarity of services, and shared accountability for student success). Through gap analysis, findings suggested that there is a need to empower students through personalized support, prevent struggling students from feeling overwhelmed, and direct students to specific services and resources based on their unique needs. Next steps and implications for future research are discussed.