I: Introduction
The period of examination on whether online learning is the way to go or not has expired. Regardless of what previous studies on online learning have found, online learning is here. The demand for it led educational organizations to adopt it. The revolution of technology facilitated implementing it. Its convenience, flexibility, and other advantages made it a favorable learning form. The existence of this learning should lead researchers to explore the factors that help in improving the quality of it rather than examining its validity.
As the online learning environment brought new kinds of communications between instructors and their students and among students themselves , it lacks direct human communication and the feeling of belonging to a community. This feeling encourages students to participate in the learning activities which lead to completing the course and the potential of increasing the students’ cognitive and affective learning. Jolivette (2006)
Research revealed the importance of the interaction among the learners in order to develop cognitive knowledge (Viygotsky, 1978; Sharan, 1980). Jolivette (2006) explained that the interaction among learners allows them to share ideas and knowledge which enhance their cognitive learning ; the social support enhances their feeling of social presence and at the end, their satisfaction with the course, which is their affective learning.
Richardson and Swan (2003) found in their study that students who had high scores in their learning were those who had high perceptions of social presence and satisfaction. They concluded that “students’ perceptions of social presence contributed significantly to the predictor equation for students’ perceived learning overal...
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...Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks
Bai, H. (2003). Student motivation and social presence in online learning: Implications for future research. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of society for information technology and teacher education international conference (pp. 2714-2720).
Jolivette, B.J. (2006). Social presence and its relevancy to cognitive and affective learning in an asynchronous distance-learning environment: A preliminary literature review.
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Wang, C., Shannon, D. M., & Ross, M. E. (2013). Students’ characteristics, self-regulated learning, technology self-efficacy, and course outcomes in online learning. Distance Education, 34(3), 302-323. doi:10.1080/01587919.2013.835779
It also created different category of students which he called Read-only participants. Prior to that discovery, “Beaudoin discovered that online students sometimes engage and learn more when not participating in online discussions. But sometimes poor communication hinders them from learning at all. Because of that they conducted a study in university of Pretoria on online master’s degree in computer integrated education program. Using “mixed methodology approach to investigate how online activity and discussion postings relate to learning and course completion. By investigating how student collaborative behavior and integration into the community relates to their academic success” Nigel, 2009). In lure to that he further discovered that there are different groups of students, who their attitude contributes to the downfall of online learning, inclusive; read only students group, non – discussion participant group. Out of point participant group, and internet blamers of wrong doing”, (Nigel, 2009). By analyzing these groups, Nigel was able to come up with an idea, on how to create communication trend between student and their instructors especially, the Read-only-participants. This he did to encourage the whole online students group to communicate the required number of online classroom postings, and submit high quality, thoughtful postings. He also created grade discussions and
Online learning: the wave of the future? Many say yes as students from kindergarten to the graduate level continue to participate in communication via the Internet. They range from small projects to entire online courses and degree programs. In the college classroom, the Internet has taken on a sort of “replacement” role to the traditional classroom set up, while in the secondary classroom, teachers are finding ways to incorporate the Internet, namely listservs and discussion groups to supplement the time spent in the actual classroom. This insurgence of technology helps students to become familiar with the Internet and software programs, it gives the shy student a chance to shine where he/she may not normally have a chance, and it has allowed for more student-generated discussion.
Since social interaction seems to be essential for group maintenance and instrumental for online learning by students, many instructors employ a n...
Smith, J. A., & Sivo, S. A. (2012). Predictinng continued use of online teacher professional development and the influence of social presence and sociability. 43(6), British Journal of Educational Technology, 871-882
The ability to connect with other students and identify within the community, communicate with each other in a trusting environment, and develop relationships through expression of individual personalities. Social presence is open communication and group cohesion with my fellow students, which is important as we collaborate through online assignments. As a student, social presence has promoted successful learning outcomes and satisfaction in online learning. In addition, social presence has lead to increased interaction and engagement with the students. Social presence was encouraged by requiring the students to introduce themselves and exchange comments. Throughout the program, active interaction was encouraged through discussion board postings and group presentations with comments from other
...that studies to measure differences in student performance should go beyond just grades. Therefore, additional studies have included outcomes including student involvement, and participation, cognitive engagement, technology self-efficacy, attitudes toward the technology employed, the usefulness of the technology, attitudes toward technology-mediated distance learning and the relative advantage and disadvantage of distance learning . In order to achieve learning most effectively, methods should include the use of rich media, interaction between students and instructors, and instructors who project positive attitudes.
Howland, J.L. & Moorse, J.L. (2002) Student Perceptions As Distance Learners In Internet-Based Courses. Distance Education 23(2): 183-195.
In today’s society, students can train and develop as a person in many ways. Every method of learning, online or in the classroom, can educate people in a different ways. It could be the right form of education and the right person at the right time, or the right learning environment to produce results. Classroom education has a need for real interaction because it provides that form. In a classroom education, a professor can have a social interaction with the student, they can answer any concerns and questions right away and there is also effectiveness in the classroom.
A study done by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) in January 2015 shows that there are some benefits of online learning with the help of social media such as time saving, high flexibility, cheaper in cost, and so on. Again, in reality, there are more unwanted consequences in practicing online learning than the positive achievements. Although it is hard to argue that online learning does serve its function as a fast and cheaper communication very well, the quality of human interaction does not seem to agree in the same way. Encouraging students who are usually still young to rely too much on social media has the potential to make them less social and in this case, social media acts as a new set of communication barrier (Tardanico, 2012). Depending too much on online notes, YouTube online video, and video chatting as a mean to study will extinguish the need to interact face to face, doing hands on exercises in class, and also eliminates the fun of feeling the atmosphere of being in class with friends, which actually refer to the real communication. Without real communication, students would not be able to strengthen their interpersonal skills and this will surely leads to poor quality of human interactions. Therefore, it can be said that the time saving, high flexibility, and cost saving features in online learning through social
Those who disagree with me think that online learning allows a student to learn at their own pace. Students are able to take the time to understand and figure out problems with the resources that are provided. The convenience of learning in an environment that is conducive to that particular students learning is provided by the student. If the student feels comfortable they are more apt
Online discussion allows students taking time to think about the messages they receive from their peers as well as what they postings. After a long time practice they can send without the pressure as an immediate responder (Biesenbach & Lucas, 2003). Therefore, online discussion is also defined as "a powerful tool for the development of critical thinking, collaboration, and reflection" (Williams et al., 2001, p. 151). Online discussions are deeply engaged and benefits the diverse students compared with traditional classroom discussions (Crevener, 1999, cited in Pinch & Graves, 2000). Students tend to participate more as they are aware that their participation is being monitored and recorded (Tullar et al., 1998). Online discussion within small groups or learning sets also affords a growing sense of community and a feeling among students that they can get to know each other through this medium (Curtin, 2002, cited in Lewin & Jerram, 2003; Hammond, 2000).
Is technology helping or hurting people learn? Technology is increasing every day, and is soon going to be a big part of everyday life. The change of teaching students on online class is way different to what they are used to, and will take awhile to get used to. There are disadvantages, advantages, opportunities, and challenges in the technology in education. The role that teachers play now will change in the future when the major demand for the use of technology hits. There is a big change in the way that students are learning with this new online learning. Technology is changing the learning of students in a big way. Some ways are positive, and some are negative but either way there is a big impact on the way students learn. Sometimes it just depends on the student’s way of learning. Those kind of students should have the choice of what they would rather use a book, or a computer. Students need to be able to decide the type of learning that they want to do to help them learn. Students need to know which way it is that they learn the best. Each person has to find out which way they learn the best to better themselves. Find out the best way that they learn so that it can benefit them in life.
Wang, Jenny et al. "Meaningful Engagement in Facebook Learning Environments: Merging Social and Academic Lives." Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE) 14.1 (2013): 302-322. Ed.gov with Full Text. 9 Feb. 2014.