Howida Moustafa

EDCI 887
Distance Education Discussion
Interaction does not simply create learning opportunity, it is learning itself
(Dick, 1999). Interaction is one of the most significant challenges to distance
learning. To build learning communities in online courses, we must understand the
importance of interaction, what influences interaction, and why we need
interaction in a class. Current literature classifies interaction four ways: students
to student interaction, teacher to student interaction, student and technology
interaction, and finally student to content interaction (Moore, 1989).
Student to Teacher Interaction
Studies of traditional classrooms have explored interaction between students
and teacher and how that interaction affects learning outcomes. In face-to-face
classes, studies shows that nonverbal and verbal interaction lead to more learning.
Research argues that teacher/student interaction in online classes should have the
same outcome as in traditional classes, which means that interaction in online
classes is as important as it is in face-to-face classes. In traditional classes, teachers
shift from cognitive to affective to psycho-motor interaction. In online classes,
these interactions are more complex, and the affective role, in particular, should

encourage instructors to develop new tools. The marginal role requires instructor
to pay great attention to detail. Current studies in online education seem to
highlights the important of interaction in online learning (Swan, 2002)
Student to Student Interaction
One important feature of on line classes is the way students interact with one
another through discussion. Many studies show that students who participate on
online courses can develop online discussion more equitably and more
democratically than discussion in a traditional classroom. The opportunity for
students to react and contribute in discussion online helps build a sense of online
community among course participants, thus building knowledge (Swan, 2002).
Interaction with Content
More active students, whether a course is online or offline, allows instructors
to facilitate interaction and use their knowledge to maximize learning
opportunities. Student motivation and student satisfaction influences interaction
with content. Swan introduces the following study comparing the rate of activity
among students in online classes and traditional classes:
In the online survey students were asked to compare their personal activity
in the course they took with their activity in a traditional classroom. Some
45% rated their activity as higher or much higher than in face-to-face

classrooms, and 35% rated it as about the same. Significant differences in

student satisfaction and perceived learning were found among students
reporting differing levels of activity in the online courses they were taking.
Students who rated their level of activity as high also reported significantly
higher levels of course satisfaction and significantly higher levels of
perceived learning. (Swan, 2002)
Influences on Interaction in Online Classes
Vrasidas and McIsaac (1999) considered the influences on interaction in
online classes, suggesting that class size, the structure of the course, and feedback
on student knowledge of multimedia communication all influence interaction.
The study indicated that structure, such as required activities, leads to more
interaction. Structure that requires a heavy cognitive load leads to frustration.
Class size affects interaction between students. Smaller classes might
actually cause students not to participate in peer interaction. Student experience
with Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) is also affects interaction
(Vrasidas, & McIsaac, 1999). Students who use technology and are comfortable
using technology will interact more than students who are not as familiar with
technology and CMC. Finally, feedback and response between students influences
interaction. Students who get no responses to questions will not try to interact with

their peers again. The study suggests that to facilitate interaction in online classes,
teachers should develop instruction that requires interaction between students
(Vrasidas, & McIsaac, 1999).
The Importance of Interaction
After exploring the different types of interaction that take place in both
online and offline courses and detailing what influences interaction, we should
highlight the importance of interaction in online learning. Ally (2004) had some
recommendations for helping learners perceive and process information to be
stored in long-term memory. Ally notes that learners must participate in an active
learning environment and that cooperative learning and interaction would facilitate
constructive learning. Learners must also participate in the learning process and
given enough time to reflect on the information they receive. Interaction also helps
develop student motivation and satisfaction about learning online. Jung, Choi, Lim,
& Leem (2002) studied the effects of different types of interaction on learning
achievement, satisfaction, and participation in web-based instruction, finding that
collaborative learning and interaction in online classes had a huge impact on
student motivation and satisfaction with the learning process.
References

Ally, M. (2004). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. Theory and
practice of online learning, 3-31.
Garrison, D. R., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2005). Facilitating cognitive presence in
online learning: Interaction is not enough. The American Journal of Distance
Education, 19(3), 133-148.
Marra, R. M., Moore, J. L., & Klimczak, A. K. (2004). Content analysis of online
discussion forums: A comparative analysis of protocols. Educational Technology
Research and Development, 52(2), 23-40.
Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2011). Distance education: A systems view of
online learning. CengageBrain. Com.
Swan, K. (2002). Building learning communities in online courses: The
importance of interaction. Education, Communication & Information, 2(1), 23-49.
Wilson, G., & Stacey, E. (2004). Online interaction impacts on learning: Teaching
the teachers to teach online. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 20(1),
33-48.
Vrasidas, C., & McIsaac, M. S. (1999). Factors influencing interaction in an online
course. American Journal of Distance Education, 13(3), 22-36.Jung, I., Choi, S.,
Lim, C., & Leem, J. (2002). Effects of different types of interaction on learning

achievement, satisfaction and participation in web-based instruction. Innovations

in Education and Teaching International, 39(2), 153-162.