ERIC Number: EJ798375
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1080-5699
EISSN: N/A
Strategies for Enhancing Student Interaction and Immediacy in Online Courses
Conaway, Roger N.; Easton, Susan S.; Schmidt, Wallace V.
Business Communication Quarterly, v68 n1 p23-35 2005
The increased demand for Internet courses, especially in schools of business, has raised questions about instructional interaction and teacher-student immediacy, which online courses may lack. Because current research suggests immediacy behaviors may indeed be present, we developed a strategy for measuring immediacy in an online MBA course and related the results to student grades on final team projects in the course. Learner-to-learner, noncontent-related statements showed minimal affective behavior, but that lack did not have a negative effect on grades. The study suggests that students do not automatically provide supportive feedback, compliment each other, and express appreciation or agreement unless the instructor builds a learning community and transfers interactive roles to the students themselves. (Contains 5 tables.)
Descriptors: Feedback (Response), Online Courses, Affective Behavior, Business Administration Education, Interpersonal Relationship, Computer Mediated Communication, Internet, Web Based Instruction, Teacher Student Relationship, Masters Degrees, Grades (Scholastic), College Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A