Research On Enhancing The Interactivity Of Online Learning

Our goal with this book, Research on Enhancing the Interactivity of Online Learning, is to present a juried, scholarly, and accessible review of research, theory, and/or policy on specific issues of interactive online learning for K-16 educators, administrators, and students of online learning. Online learning has become the norm rather than the exception for many of today’s students. Instructors are more willing to explore online learning options, students are enrolling in record numbers and colleges, as well as many K-12 institutions, are offering more online courses. As educators, we have more tools than ever to ensure online course success, but just as with a traditional class, we must continue to place emphasis on good pedagogy. To achieve good pedagogy, online teaching takes additional time and a restructuring of course content by the instructor. Student issues include coping strategies, ease of navigation, skills required to complete the course, availability of online resources, feedback from the instructor, and collaborative, interactive learning opportunities. Principles of interactive online learning are new to many, and this book provides a forum for interactive online learning research while also including ideas that enhance both the practical and theoretical aspects of interactive online learning. The editors have included chapters that can further knowledge and understanding of emerging trends and foster debate regarding issues that surround interactive online learning.

"This book provides a comprehensive examination of interactivity, combining key perspectives from communication and media studies, distributed cognition, system affordances, user control, and social interaction, intended for researchers working in the fields of communication and media, educational media, e-learning, and instructional technology"--Provided by publisher.

This book is based on research conducted to investigate whether interactivity yields a learning effect when used appropriately in e-Learning Systems, and whether this effect enhances learning. There is no doubt interactivity is vital in learning. This statement is emphasized to such an extent that it is claimed that students with higher levels of interaction will obtain more positive and higher levels of achievement. However, little scientific evidence can be found to support this relationship. The importance of this book is based on the fact that it provides evidence of the impact of interactivity on e-Learning Systems considering the three main agents of an educational activity: the learner, the teacher and the environment. In addition, the concept of feedback as a key element in any interactive mechanism for enhancing learning is well documented in several studies throughout this book. Three empirical studies are presented that investigated interactivity within the educational triangle. These three studies were conducted based on the framework of positivism and action research paradigms. The first study, entitled “Interactive Pedagogical Feedback”, gathers evidence for how highly interactive pedagogically designed formative feedback enhances students’ memory and understanding. The second study, entitled “Interactive Audio Feedback”, examines whether the speed enhancements of oral feedback improve the conditions for the production of the lecturer’s feedback and the quality of the feedback delivered to the students. The final study, “Interactive Texting Feedback”, takes a pedagogical approach to provide formative feedback to a student audience using mobile text messages, and determines whether Interactive Texting Feedback enhances the learning experience within the e-Learning environment. The information contained in the book is useful for academics and institutions to improve their teaching and the efficiency of their learning delivery mechanisms, and will guide the design of instructional content. It will also be of utility to other researchers and those in roles that require an understanding of interactivity.

Online learning has become a prominent and inseparable component of higher education in recent years. Questions related to course structure, levels of interaction, presence, and participation within online courses persist and invite further inquiry for determining factors that encourage effective teaching and learning in online environments. The Handbook of Research on Strategic Management of Interaction, Presence, and Participation in Online Courses explores models of course development and delivery techniques to improve instruction, learning, and student satisfaction in online courses. Covering topics such as rates of participation, student engagement and retention, and social development, this handbook serves as a resource for educators in online learning environments, as well as for course designers and developers of online courses and researchers whose agenda includes examining interaction, presence, and participation in online courses.

Teaching Online: A Practical Guide is a practical, concise guide for educators teaching online. This updated edition has been fully revamped and reflects important changes that have occurred since the second edition’s publication. A leader in the online field, this best- selling resource maintains its reader friendly tone and offers exceptional practical advice, new teaching examples, faculty interviews, and an updated resource section. New to this edition: new chapter on how faculty and instructional designers can work collaboratively expanded chapter on Open Educational Resources, copyright, and intellectual property more international relevance, with global examples and interviews with faculty in a wide variety of regions new interactive Companion Website that invites readers to post questions to the author, offers real-life case studies submitted by users, and includes an updated, online version of the resource section. Focusing on the "how" and "whys" of implementation rather than theory, this text is a must-have resource for anyone teaching online or for students enrolled in Distance Learning and Educational Technology Masters Programs.

Educators are finding that communication and interaction are at the core of a successful web-based classroom. This interactivity fosters community, which contributes to effective and meaningful learning. Positive online communities and the communication therein encourage students to interact with others’ views which not only grows one’s empathy, but is an integral part of constructivist learning theories. Because of this, the most important role of an educator in an online class is one that ensures student interactivity and engagement. Creating Teacher Immediacy in Online Learning Environments addresses the most effective models and strategies for nurturing teacher immediacy in web-based and virtual learning environments. A number of innovative methods for building an authentic, personalized online learning experience are outlined and discussed at length within this publication, providing solutions for pre-service as well as in-service educators. This book is a valuable compilation of research for course designers, faculty, students of education, administration, software designers, and higher education researchers.

This is a collection of research and innovative case material drawn from leading practitioners and academics from around the world which scrutinises the role and effectiveness of interactivity and teases out the practical implications for both.

Online learning is transcending from the text-rich educational experience of the past to a video- and audio-rich learning transformation. The greater levels of media-rich content and media-rich interaction that are currently prevalent in online leisure experiences will help to increase e-learning's future efficiency and effectiveness. Enhancing E-Learning with Media-Rich Content and Interactions presents instructional designers, educators, scholars, and researchers with the necessary foundational elements, theoretical underpinnings, and practical guidance to aid in the technology selection and design of effective online learning experiences by integrating media-rich interactions and content.