The nature of adolescent learner interaction in a virtual high school setting

This study used survey data to measure the effect of learners' reported interactions with content, peers, and instructors on several course outcomes in two virtual high school courses that emphasized interactive learning. Surveys found that the large majority of students viewed all investigated types of interaction as educational and motivational. Students perceived learner–instructor and learner–content interactions to have significantly higher educational value (α < 0.01) than learner–learner interactions, and viewed learner–instructor interaction to be significantly more motivational (α < 0.01) than learner–content interaction. Furthermore, nine significant correlations were found involving the time students reported spending on human interaction and course outcomes. Seven of the significant correlations were related to the time students reported spending in human interaction and the more affective outcomes, such as course satisfaction and disposition towards the subject area. Outcomes also indicate that learner–learner interaction had higher correlations with course outcomes than learners' interactions with the content or their instructor. Students' perceived learning was not significantly correlated with any type of interaction, and only students' total reported time spent on learner–learner interaction and students' social learner–learner interaction were significantly correlated with their grade.

[1]  D. Garrison,et al.  Facilitating Cognitive Presence in Online Learning: Interaction Is Not Enough , 2005 .

[2]  Cs Ungerleider,et al.  A systematic review of the effectiveness and efficiency networked ICT in education: A state of the field report to the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada and Industry Canada. , 2003 .

[3]  Lisa A. Petrides,et al.  Web-Based Technologies for Distributed (or Distance) Learning: Creating Learning-Centered Educational Experiences in the Higher Education Classroom , 2002 .

[4]  C. Tu,et al.  The Relationship of Social Presence and Interaction in Online Classes , 2002 .

[5]  Randy Garrison,et al.  Implications of Online Learning for the Conceptual Development and Practice of Distance Education. , 2009 .

[6]  Raquel Benbunan-Fich,et al.  The importance of participant interaction in online environments , 2007, Decis. Support Syst..

[7]  Zane L. Berge,et al.  Facilitating Computer Conferencing: Recommendations from the Field. , 1995 .

[8]  Charles S. Ungerleider,et al.  A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Networked ICT in Education , 2003 .

[9]  Cathy Cavanaugh.  Student Achievement in Elementary and High School , 2012 .

[10]  Terry Anderson,et al.  E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Community of Inquiry Framework for Research and Practice , 2016 .

[11]  Philip H. Winne,et al.  Inherent details in self-regulated learning , 1995 .

[12]  David R. Moore,et al.  Building Interactivity into Web Courses: Tools for Social and Instructional Interaction. , 1998 .

[13]  Michael K. Barbour,et al.  Research Committee Issues Brief: Examining Communication and Interaction in Online Teaching. , 2009 .

[14]  L. Shulman.  Those Who Understand: Knowledge Growth in Teaching , 1986 .

[15]  Yoany Beldarrain.  Engaging the 21st century learner: An exploratory study of the relationship between interaction and achievement in the virtual high school , 2008 .

[16]  Kim Bartel Sheehan,et al.  E-mail Survey Response Rates: A Review , 2006, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[17]  Selma Vonderwell,et al.  An examination of asynchronous communication experiences and perspectives of students in an online course: a case study , 2003, Internet High. Educ..

[18]  M. Moore.  Editorial: Three types of interaction , 1989 .

[19]  Marco Adria,et al.  Who's on the Line? Managing student communications in distance learning using a one-window approach , 2001 .

[20]  Anthony G. Picciano,et al.  K-12 Online Learning: A 2008 Follow-Up of the Survey of U.S. School District Administrators. , 2009 .

[21]  Frank V. Novello.  Behavioral Objectives: Validity Through Verbs , 1975 .

[22]  Cornelia Weiner,et al.  Key Ingredients to Online Learning: Adolescent Students Study in Cyberspace – The Nature of the Study , 2003 .

[23]  Cathy Cavanaugh,et al.  The effectiveness of interactive distance education technologies in K-12 learning: A meta-analysis , 2001 .

[24]  Robert J. Sternberg.  Chapter 29. Individual Differences in Cognitive Development , 2010 .

[25]  D. Randy Garrison,et al.  Critical Inquiry in a Text-Based Environment: Computer Conferencing in Higher Education , 1999, Internet High. Educ..

[26]  Jane A. Stallings.  Allocated Academic Learning Time Revisited, or Beyond Time on Task , 1980 .

[27]  Byron R. Burnham,et al.  Interactions in distance education: A report from the other side. , 1997 .

[28]  J. Metcalfe,et al.  Metacognition : knowing about knowing , 1994 .

[29]  Angelina KewalRamani,et al.  Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 1972-2009. Compendium Report. NCES 2012-006. , 2010 .

[30]  Robert Blomeyer,et al.  The Effects of Distance Education on K-12 Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis. , 2004 .

[31]  Gila Kurtz,et al.  Psychosocial Well-Being of Israeli Students and Attitudes toward Open and Distance Learning , 2009 .

[32]  Janette R. Hill,et al.  Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics , 2004, Internet High. Educ..

[33]  Abigail Hawkins,et al.  “We're Definitely on our Own”: Interaction and Disconnection in a Virtual High School , 2011 .

[34]  Sarah Carr.  As Distance Education Comes of Age, the Challenge Is Keeping the Students. , 2000 .

[35]  Michael K. Barbour,et al.  Research and Practice in K-12 Online Learning: A Review of Open Access Literature , 2009 .

[36]  Glenn Russell,et al.  Virtual schools: a critical review , 2004 .

[37]  D. Dillman.  Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method, 2nd ed. , 2007 .

[38]  Valerie J. Caracelli,et al.  Toward a Conceptual Framework for Mixed-Method Evaluation Designs , 1989 .

[39]  Thomas C. Reeves,et al.  Meaningful interaction in web-based learning: A social constructivist interpretation , 2007, Internet High. Educ..

[40]  Baruch Offir,et al.  Teacher-student interactions and learning outcomes in a distance learning environment , 2003, Internet High. Educ..

[41]  Elizabeth Murphy,et al.  Teachers' Perspectives on Motivation in High-School Distance Education. , 2009 .

[42]  Charalambos Vrasidas,et al.  Complexities in the evaluation of distance education and virtual schooling , 2003 .

[43]  M. Moore.  The Theory of Transactional Distance , 2012, Handbook of Distance Education.

[44]  H. Swanson.  Influence of Metacognitive Knowledge and Aptitude on Problem Solving. , 1990 .

[45]  Robert M. Bernard,et al.  A Meta-Analysis of Three Types of Interaction Treatments in Distance Education , 2009 .

[46]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[47]  Karen Swan,et al.  Building Learning Communities in Online Courses: the importance of interaction , 2002 .

[48]  Russel L. Thompson,et al.  A Meta-Analysis of Response Rates in Web- or Internet-Based Surveys , 2000 .

[49]  Richard E. Ferdig,et al.  Best practices in teaching K-12 online: Lessons learned from Michigan Virtual School teachers , 2010 .

[50]  Kerry Rice,et al.  A Comprehensive Look at Distance Education in the K–12 Context , 2006 .

[51]  Noriko Hara,et al.  Students' Frustrations with a Web-Based Distance Education Course , 1999, First Monday.

[52]  Thomas D. Snyder,et al.  The Condition of Education 2010 , 2010 .