social interaction in online learning situationalities that affect the effectiveness of specific...

Social Interaction in Online Learning

Situationalities that affect the effectiveness of specific instructional

methods

Brian J. Beatty, Indiana University

Presented at the IT Institute, Utah State University - August 29, 2001

Overview

Background – Why this topic? Literature – What is the knowledge gap? Method – How to find out? Results (preliminary) – What are the

answers? Questions – yours and mine

A “Call to Action”

Based on the findings of our work, the Commission believes a national mobilization is necessary, one that evokes a response similar in scope to other great American opportunities or crises: Sputnik and the race to the moon; bringing electricity and phone service to all corners of the nation; finding a cure for polio. … The question is no longer if the Internet can be used to transform learning in new and powerful ways. … Nor is the question should we invest the time, the energy, and the money necessary to fulfill its promise in defining and shaping new learning opportunity. The commission believes that we should. We all have a role to play. It is time we collectively move the power of the Internet for learning from promise to practice. (p. iii-vi)

Web-based Education Commission (2000)

Growth in Online Learning

1960’s – 1980’s – 1990’s – today Training trends

Education and training 9% of GDP $1B – 2000, $10B – 2003, $360B – 2003 (WW)

Education trends 50% - 1995, Internet > ITV – 1998

Are we ready?

Importance of Social Interaction

Social learning theories – students learn (best) when engaged in learning activities with others.

“Learning is a social act.” (Bruner, Dewey, Hutchins, Lave & Wenger, Salomon, Vygotsky, Wertsch, and others)

[but is it always?]

Instructional Design Theory

More than learning theory (how students learn) ID theory provides “…explicit guidance on how to

better help people learn and develop.”(Reigeluth 1998)

“Instructional theory fitted specifically to the online environment is critical.” (Khan 1997)

Not only what to do, but when to do it (and when not to do it)

Situationalities

Methods, conditions, outcomes, and values Methods – approaches to facilitating learning, under the

control of the instructor Conditions – aspects of the learning context that affect

the effectiveness of the learning, not under the control of the instructor

Outcomes – effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal Values – beliefs about learning that affect the choice of

instructional method (Reigeluth & Merrill, 1979; Reigeluth, 1983, 1998, 1999)

Literature

• Online learning • Social learning theories Interactivity and Social Interaction Situationalities in case studies Research Questions

Online learning

Where did it come from? Distance education (Moore, Kearsley)

More interactive than paper!More convenient than ITV!

Extending the classroom (Harasim)Class never ends!Perpetual discussions!

Social learning theories

Social constructivism Learning is the construction of new understandings through the

social negotiation of meaning. Authentic, relevant Problem-centered Collaborative – peers, experts, resources

Sociocultural approaches Learning happens first on the social plane, and only then on the

internal plane. Scaffolding - ZPD Collaborative – peers, experts Contextualized in the social, cultural and historical milieu

Interactivity and Social Interaction

What is “interactivity?” (a “messy” concept) Several ways to think about interaction Moore’s three levels (Moore 1989) Interactivity taxonomy – social vs. instructional

(Gilbert & Moore 1998) Impersonal, interpersonal, and “hyperpersonal”

(Walther 1996) Working Definition: Social interaction is …

Working definition

Intentional communication between two or more participants in the learning environment.

Existing Design Guidelines

Often there is discussion of values and goals There are always many suggestions of methods Occasionally there are reports of effectiveness of

various methods What is missing? Almost never is there an explicit discussion of

conditions that affect the effectiveness of the recommended method.

Research questions

1. What are the best combinations of social interaction methods to use, for different conditions and values, in order to achieve specific learning goals?

2. Can these methods and conditions be arranged in a useful classification scheme, a “situationalities framework?”

Method

Case Survey Interviews Surveys

Case Survey

Used to “aggregate diverse case studies together under a common conceptual framework so that findings will be cumulative” (Lucas, 1974)

“survey” each case, asking the same set of questions

selecting cases (source, recency, content/usefulness)

Interview

Semi-structured, active interviews (Holstein & Gubrium 1995)

Purposive sample of 5 case authors Who can tell me the most relevant information to

help clarify the framework?

Survey

E-mail survey asking for review and comments regarding the framework.

Comprehensive “sample” of all case authors. What will I learn?

Do they agree with my conclusions? Can they suggest additional cases? Do they think the framework can be helpful?

Results (preliminary)

Status: 25 cases selected, 15 cases surveyed Characteristics of OLE’s being studied A Sample Case Common values and goals A sampling of the framework (draft) Continuing - next steps

Common case characteristics

Setting Level – primarily graduate level Content – Instructional design, Teaching with

technology, Distance education “how-to’s” # of students – 5 to 30

Technologies CMC discussions (asynch and synch) Email, Web-pages, telephone, desktop video

Sample Case

Zhang, P. (1998). A case study on technology use in distance learning. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 30(4), 398 – 420.

Values: Discovery learning, Learner-centered education, Enforcement - instructor retains some control

Goals: Students work collaboratively on projects, participate in peer evaluation, and choose specific social interaction methods from a range of options.

Sample Case (continued)

Method: Provide a space for students to create their own web pages in order for them to share information and exchange files with other students.

Condition: Students need to know how to create their own web pages using HTML programming language or web page creation software such as Netscape™ Composer.

Effectiveness: Only the students with the requisite skills were able to use student-created web pages to exchange files among collaborative group members.

More Sample Case

Method: Provide a class file transfer protocol (FTP) site for file exchange.

Condition: Class participants do not share the same email client and cannot reliably download files from a website. This method is not recommended if other, simpler, file sharing options exist.

Effectiveness: FTP was not used by students to exchange files among themselves, but was useful to the instructor as a way to distribute and collect a class survey.

Even more!

Method: Provide Internet Relay Chat (IRC or chat) as an option for project group coordination, clarification and decision-making.

Condition: Students must have skills in discussion control and IRC client use.

Effectiveness: The students who used IRC were able to coordinate group decisions successfully. However, only a small number of students used IRC; the rest chose to coordinate all group communications through e-mail.

And more …

Method: Students use email to turn in assignments and coordinate group project work.

Condition: The number of students and assignments must be kept small in order to keep the volume of email at a manageable level.

Effectiveness: Email was the most popular form of interaction. However, the overuse of email can quickly generate a huge volume of emails to which the instructor (and other students, in some cases) must respond.

Last one!

Method: Broadcast course announcements via listserv (automated email list).

Condition: Students must be able and willing to check e-mail regularly.

Effectiveness: This method was more effective than posting announcements to the class web page because students checked e-mail more frequently than they visited the class web page.

Common themes in values and goals

Building learning communities Collaborative learning Learner-centered Critical thinking Meaningful discourse Supportive learning environment (peer-helping) Authentic problem-based collaboration

Framework … a sampling

Value/goal Method Conditions(s) Effectiveness

Learner-centered approaches

Students develop their own topics for conferences

Students must recognize the value of the CMC experience

Students who value the discussion only as a way to fulfill a participation grade will not discuss! They post single messages.

Students moderate a CMC conference for their peers

Requires a trusting relationship among students and instructor(s). Instructor must be willing to give up some control.

Instructors who are comfortable with CMC find it easier to relinquish control.

Student must be willing and prepared to act as moderators.

When a student moderated a discussion, they contributed three times as many posts as usual.


Students collaborate in small teams.

Teams of peer collaborators moderate class discussions.

Student must be willing and prepared to act as moderators.

When a student moderated a discussion, they contributed three times as many posts as usual.

Each person on the team must be willing to do their fair share of the work.

Inequity in workload creates peer conflict and reduces the amount of collaboration.

Provide a CHAT tool for paired collaboration.

Students are willing to use CHAT rather than e-mail.

Most students preferred to use e-mail when working in pairs.

Students must have skills in discussion control and IRC client use.

The students (4) who used IRC were able to coordinate group decisions successfully.

Provide a “team-only” CMC discussion space.

Students need reliable access to the computer conference.

Some students in rural areas with poor phone lines had difficulty contributing to discussions due to connection faults.


It is important to create a sense of “learning community” among the participants.

Allow (encourage) peers to answer technical help questions.

Peers must be available and knowledgeable to offer help.

Detailed technical responses shut down the discussion.

Teacher does not answer every question sent to him/her, but allows other students to answer.

Students must be able and available online (regularly) to post replies.

This led to greater peer interaction. Questions began to be directed to other students rather than teacher (or to peers in general). This may be more effective in a larger class, since there are more students available.

Create students tasks that require peer involvement such as reviewing drafts, etc.

Students have to be willing to participate, provide drafts in a timely fashion, and be able to exchange files electronically.

This method generated significant peer discussion + interaction. The focus of interactions shifted towards the peers and away from the instructor. Task 'deliverables' were of increasing quality.



Use student pseudonym (avatar) to identify them in a publicly viewable portfolio of posted work.

Avatars must be non-ascribable. Public (or invited guess) access must be available.

The presence of a public increase the quality and depth of student posts.

Provide a social discussion space for off-topic conversations

Students must participate often enough to want to engage in social dialogue.

Content-only discussions are not enough to create community. Providing an off-topic place/task question helps students form emotional bonds.

Include students from other locations, specially other countries to engage in dialog about course content.

International students are available, and all participants can use a common language.

The quality of student posts improved with an expanded international audience. International students modeled more desirable behavior (i.e. “deeper” posts).

Provide “global experts" in the content domain as resources for students in completing projects.

Experts must be available, accessible, and willing to participate.

Some experts volunteered to help, but did not have the time to respond to students in a timely fashion.



Provide multiple methods and technologies (e-mail, listserv, web pages, etc.) to support student communication.

Students must be motivated by a “felt need” to use the various technologies.

Technologies themselves don't produce community, it is more a function of the task and collaborative structure. Without a need or motivation to use them, collaborative technologies will not be used.

Use CMC discussions for weekly topical discussion on course topics, encouraging free and open discussion.

Access must be: available at home and office, reliable, inexpensive.

Students that did not have ready access did not participate much or 'feel' a sense of community.

All students should start at the same time.

Students who started the course late found it very difficult to read past discussions to “catch up” to the others.

Students should have similar interests or backgrounds to help community formation.

dissimilar backgrounds or interest leads to a lack of confidence in entering discussions ("they know so much more than I, they were much better language”)

Continuing on …

Selecting more cases Analyzing data – what useful sets of conditions

emerge? Selecting and interviewing authors (September)

Who will provide useful information?

Surveying case authors (October) Goal: creating a useful framework!

Questions?

Can I answer your questions?

Thank you!

Final results expected January 2002 … for more information:

E-mail: [email protected]

Presentation:

http://php.indiana.edu/~bjbeatty/present/ITinst2001.html

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