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Significance of the Problem This researcher hopes
to contribute to the understanding of the integration of advanced computer technology and educational settings. The use of the Internet has become a part of the larger trend of innovation in education involving computer
technology (e.g., learning networks, email, Web). Also, distance-education is potentially an emerging paradigm of unprecedented proportions, for educational systems, as well as business training and life-long learning
in general (Collis, 1996; Harasim, 1995). As a recent computer-mediated-communication (CMC) innovation, Web-based online courses need to be investigated, especially the aspects of interaction. Most
CMC-based learning situations are still delivered via computer conferencing, and though much simpler versions of this have been around since the late '70's, there is still a great need to examine this interaction in
terms of learning. Analysis of the actual content of interaction has been neglected. Mason (1992), in a review of studies on computer conferencing, stated that the transcripts of all the online interaction in computer
conferencing, which are saved and continually accessible, are the most obvious of all data; yet, she found that it was used the least and that this "central core of the whole enterprise" was severely lacking in the
literature (p. 113). She also pointed out that the few studies that did attempt content analysis, including herself, simply used a synthesized typology not based on any particular theoretical framework (Henri, 1992;
Haile, 1986; Mason, 1989). Other attempts at analysis have included studies that: (a) organized messages and linked them to each other (Ellis & McCreary, 1985); (b) searched for things that trigger higher
levels of interaction (Waugh et al., 1988); and, (c) examined participation patterns and outcomes (Waggoner, 1992). There is little research linking online interaction to theory, especially in Web-based graduate level
courses. With a recent trend toward having Web-based components in higher education courses (Collis, 1996), this study could contribute significantly to the literature on the issues surrounding the online
communication and interactive behaviors of adult learners in a Web-based learning environment. The combination of constructivist learning principles and Web-based instructional environments is a match that is
emerging in the literature. More broadly, research has linked constructivism and instructional technology (Duffy & Jonassen, 1992). The educational potential for instructional technology, specifically the use of the
Web and Internet, continues to increase. As well, constructivist approaches in education, such as situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and collaborative learning (Sharan & Sharan, 1992), have gained
popularity. Linking constructivist theory and associated instructional strategies to Web-based courses might provide valuable educational results in higher education (Bannan-Ritland, Bragg, & Collins, 1999). A study
such as this, though small in scope, may have an impact on many educational and training institutions, as it could add to the evolution of the very recent attempt to find effective ways to provide Web-based instruction,
and to specifically apply theoretical frameworks of constructivist pedagogy. Research in this area is also greatly needed to facilitate a better understanding of the complexity of online learning environments
and of the instructional and learning processes in those online environments. That complexity is a result of the overlap of many areas: (a) distance-education, (b) online interaction, (c)
computer-mediated-communication, (d) Web-based computer conferencing, and (e) specifically Web-based learning environments. Added to that, is the importance of understanding how these online learning processes might
support theoretical frameworks of learning. Another aspect of the complexity of using Web-based learning is that innovation in educational systems is usually difficult, requiring changes in all aspects of
pedagogy. If there is a better understanding of the online interaction in Web-based environments and of how it relates to learning theory, educators may be encouraged to integrate innovative uses of Web-based technology
in their teaching. These issues dealing with the complexities of online education have raised questions, such as:
- How does one create a successful and effective virtual classroom, online?
- What are the changes in teaching and learning behaviors required in this unique environment?
- How are constructivist learning principles supported in such technology-mediated environments?
- What is the nature of the student-student and student-instructor interaction in this environment (in terms of response to instruction, participants' communication, and thinking processes such as reflection and
metacognition)?
- How does this innovation affect all aspects of interaction among learners at a distance?
As educational settings more and more integrate learning at a distance, researchers have continued to probe for a better understanding of relationships between the specific technological environment,
instructional strategies, learners, the learning processes, interaction, and all other facets of the technology based learning environments. With the accelerated changes brought upon education with the use of the Web
and Internet, clearly there will be an ever-increasing need for research that leads to a better understanding of the online learning processes. With the use of online networks so ubiquitous in our society (Martin,
1997), a practical by-product of this type of research should be informed design of online instruction. In that the graduate course in this study was for teachers (K-12), there may also be some value in using
the analysis to inform the possible use of online learning communities for teacher-education and teacher professional development. In practical terms, on-line courses can bring teachers (typically isolated) together
across time and space into "shared synthetic environments" to experience "distributed learning" (Dede, 1996) and to become a "community of learners" (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Related issues that are important include:
(a) educators' access to the Internet's vast stores of information, through resource-sharing (of "links" to sites on Web/Internet); (b) high levels of teacher-teacher interaction possibly facilitating collegiality; and,
(c) a change in attitude toward the use of advanced computer-based technology (specifically Web-based instruction). If designed and facilitated properly, it is possible that Web-based courses could help teacher
education programs in terms of learning, collegiality, and professional development, with the resulting impact on practice. In summary, the significance of the problem is related to the following suggestions
from recent research:
1. Web-based learning is an emerging phenomenon (Siegel & Kirkley, 1997). 2. The Web offers excellent potential as a platform for effective educational environments that are highly
interactive (Khan, 1997). 3. Content of online interaction has not been highly researched (Mason, 1992). 4. Most studies in this area have been quantitative (Henri, 1992),
therefore not "contextualizing" (Maxwell, 1996) the online interaction in its natural setting. (That is, most studies in this area have not investigated the online interaction
in context, in its natural setting, using qualitative methods.) 5. There is a need in Web-based education to link theory to higher order learning processes (Romiszowski, 1997). 6.
Constructivist principles seem to fit to technology-mediated learning networks (Duffy & Jonassen, 1992).
This particular study is significant in that it looked at pertinent online interactive and communicative processes as related to a
particular constructivist model of learning. The relatedness of Web-based, networked online learning communities and the pedagogical application of constructivist learning theory provided a very interesting focus for
this research study. As universities turn more and more to the utilization of learning networks at a distance, it becomes imperative to lay the theoretical groundwork, exploring and describing how particular
environments relate to specific educational theoretical frameworks. This study may be of educational value to higher education instructors and administrators, educational technologists, developers of online
instructional software, online instructional designers, and educators interested in the possibilities of these online learning networks. |
