A Qualitative Exploration of the Social Interaction in an Online Learning Community

Focusing on the social and interpersonal interaction in an online M.Ed. degree program, this qualitative study explored the development of social and affective connections, the learners’ participation in online communication, and the impact of social interaction on students’ learning. Three students from this program were selected and interviewed. Data were collected and coded to summarize the main themes. The findings reveal that the social interaction in an E-learning community has different features than the social interaction in a face-to-face class. This study suggests that being supportive and contributive is the starting point of developing good relationships, that students participate in social communication on different levels, and that social interaction facilitates students’ online learning in a variety of ways.

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