ERIC Number: EJ1273659
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2374-1473
EISSN: N/A
Successful Online Learning: What Does Learner Interaction with Peers, Instructors and Parents Look Like?
Keaton, Whitney; Gilbert, Andrew
Journal of Online Learning Research, v6 n2 p129-154 2020
The student perspective in research of K-12 online and STEM education is largely absent but is important for understanding how both of these areas can come together to best serve students. This study used teacher ratings, school data and student interviews to investigate the perceptions students in online STEM courses have of their past and current educational experiences. Using an adaptation of Moore's Framework of Interactions (Moore, 1989), the academic and extracurricular behaviors of these students were examined in relation to their interactions with others, specifically instructors, parents, and peers. It was found that the interactions that students have with these stakeholders are different in this setting as compared to a traditional learning environment. Teachers in online schools serve the role of a facilitator that students felt was important to their success, but was not their only source of instruction. Parents took on many roles in this setting, including monitoring, motivating, instructing and organizing. Learner-learner interaction looked the most different compared to traditional schools because these participants generally had little interaction with peers due to time and distance constraints. Implications of these findings for students, schools, education, and research are given.
Descriptors: Online Courses, Elementary Secondary Education, STEM Education, Educational Technology, Student Experience, Interaction, Teacher Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Parent Role, Teacher Role, Student Role, High School Students, Private Schools, Virtual Schools, Synchronous Communication, Asynchronous Communication, Parent Child Relationship
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. P.O. Box 719, Waynesville, NC 28786. Tel: 828-246-9558; Fax: 828-246-9557; e-mail: info@aace.org; Web site: https://www.aace.org/pubs/jolr/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A