Communicative Interactions with Teachers in K-12 Online Courses: From the Student Perspective
This study examined student-teacher communication practice in online courses from the student perspective. Through a series of analyses of student end-of-course survey data, it was found that (a) students who are more motivated and engaged in communicative interactions with the teacher are more likely to show course outcomes and satisfaction at a greater degree than their counterparts; (b) one of the most preferred communication methods is in-house messaging tools; and (c) this preference has a significant association with the final grade, course engagement level, course satisfaction, and student perceived quality of course. Lastly, analyses of actual transaction data confirmed that the greater the frequency of student outgoing messages through the messaging tool, the better the chance of success in the course. One practical implication of this work may be that instructional practice to encourage communication with teachers via this method is critical for student success in the online learning environment.
