ITFORUM Paper #68 Now Online: Understanding Participation in Online Courses: A Case Study of Perceptions of Online Interaction
This study examined instructor and learner perceptions and attitudes toward interaction in online courses on “engaged learning with technology” delivered to K12 inservice teachers. Participants included learners who were enrolled in an online course and a course instructor as well as other instructors who have expressed reluctance to teach online courses, participants who chose not to enroll in online courses, and withdrew early after the first session of an online course. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze the interviews, documents, and online transcripts. Conductive content analysis Henri’s (1992) five-step model was used to measure the online transcripts. The result of the study showed that most learners have a high level of satisfaction with the course content which covers the use of technology and its integration into classroom teaching and learning. Analysis of data revealed that although perceptions regarding interaction varied among all interviewed, upon reflection all course participants agreed that the interactivity was at least adequate in learning. Recommendation for assisting the educators in developing and delivering online courses effectively and efficiently will be offered.
The paper will be discussed on ITFORUM this week.
