Dr. William P. Bragg III

Dissertation ~ June 1999

Chapter One: Introduction

Purposes of this Study and Research Questions

Main Purpose of this Study

The main purpose of this study was to understand the complex phenomena of online interaction in terms of a constructivist learning framework. To meet the purpose, this study examined a particular Web-based graduate course in order to: (a) explore and describe the nature of the online interaction; and, (b) describe and explain this environment and the online interaction in terms of a particular constructivist model of learning, specifically a model of knowledge-construction by Jonassen et al. (1995). This study may help educators, specifically in higher education, utilize the Web as an instructional tool. The intent here is not to generalize to all Web-based college courses, but to examine this one case in depth to begin to understand the possibilities of integrating constructivist learning principles with Web-based online learning communities.

Secondary Purposes

(1) Methodological issues: The use of purely online data collection methods within a qualitative case study, and the qualitative analysis of online communication are new issues concerning research in distance learning scenarios.

(2) Higher education decision-making: The potential of this unique medium to be an effective medium of delivery of graduate level instruction is just being explored.

(3) Instructional design: The complex interplay of components (e.g., participants, technology, content) may reveal valuable insights that might inform future design of Web-based courses.

 

Research Questions

The following research questions were the focus of this study:

1. What is the nature of online interaction in this specific setting?

2. How does the interaction within this context, a particular Web-based

environment, support or not support a constructivist theoretical model of learning?

 The approach of this study was exploratory under a qualitative framework, so it was expected that many sub-questions would be generated as the study proceeded.