Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments: An Exploration of L... - 0 views
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This exploratory study sought to examine the experiences and preferences of adult learners concerning the various interactions that they encounter in a self-paced online course. The following four primary research questions guided data collection and analysis efforts: 1. What forms of interaction do adult learners engage in most in self-paced online courses? 2. What forms of interaction do adult learners value most in self-paced online courses? 3. What forms of interaction do adult learners identify as equivalent in self-paced online courses? 4. What impact do adult learners perceive interaction to have on their self-paced online learning experience?
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Deep and meaningful formal learning is supported as long as one of the three forms of interaction (student–teacher; student-student; student-content) is at a high level. The other two may be offered at minimal levels, or even eliminated, without degrading the educational experience. High levels of more than one of these three modes will likely provide a more satisfying educational experience, though these experiences may not be as cost or time effective as less interactive learning sequences. (Anderson, 2003)
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The perception of high level is key. If a single interaction approach is selected and the learner opts not to engage, then "high level interaction" is not achieved.
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Participants further noted that they engaged most actively with the instructor and course content, commensurate with findings of previous research pointing to the necessity of such fundamental interactions (Gallien & Early, 2008; Heinemann, 2003; Pawan, Paulus, Yalcin, & Chang, 2003; Perry & Edwards, 2005; Stein, Wanstreet, Calvin, Overtoom, & Wheaton, 2005). The results of this study further strengthen the literature calling for the development of specific competencies not only for those designing online learning but also for those who facilitate online learning experiences of various formats (Klein, Spector, Grabowski, & Teja, 2004; Varvel, 2007).
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Research Question 2: What forms of interaction do adult learners value most in self-paced online courses?
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Participants hailed the blogging and social bookmarking activities as integral to the quality of the overall learning experience, noting the synergy of formal and informal interactions that such activities fostered.
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Participants noted that although they enjoyed the interactions with other learners and often wished for more, they conceded that in the self-paced, online learning environment such interactions are challenging.
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informal learning environment that was crafted placed maximum control with the learners. Such informal learning environments provide an open venue for learners to connect with others interested in the same concepts either in a different course section or at a different stage of the course (Rhode, 2006).
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Participants identified interaction with the instructor and content as very nearly equivalent in a self-paced online course. Participants pointed out that quality interaction with content is indispensable in the self-paced learning environment and can not in any way be replaced. They also indicated that interaction with the instructor could potentially be diminished and compensated for through increased quality interactions with content or learners. Participants further noted that while interaction with other learners is desirable within the self-paced learning environment, the self-paced nature of the course makes such interactions challenging. Therefore, learners were willing to forgo interpersonal interactions deemed by some as tangential in exchange for the flexibility afforded by the self-paced learning approach.
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In a granular analysis of the various interaction activities, participants generally reported the activity of blogging as equivalent or superior to asynchronous discussion via the discussion board in Blackboard. Such findings add to the burgeoning body of research supporting the pedagogical possibilities of blogging as a flexible asynchronous communication alternative to threaded discussion via a restricted learning management system
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This mixed methods study explored the dynamics of interaction within a self-paced online learning environment. It used rich media and a mix of traditional and emerging asynchronous computer-mediated communication tools to determine what forms of interaction learners in a self-paced online course value most and what impact they perceive interaction to have on their overall learning experience. This study demonstrated that depending on the specific circumstance, not all forms of interaction may be either equally valued by learners or effective. Participants differentiated among the various learning interactions available and indicated that informal interactions were as important as formal interactions in determining the quality of the online learning experience. Participants also reported the activity of blogging as being equally valued and in some ways superior to instructor-directed asynchronous discussion via the discussion board in a learning management system.
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Learning takes place through active engagement rather than passive transmission.
