Assessing Social Presence In Asynchronous Text-based Computer Conferencing | Rourke | International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education Liam Rourke, Terry Anderson, D. Randy Garrison, Walter Archer VOL. 14, No. 2, 50-71 Instructional media such as computer conferencing engender high levels of student-student and student-teacher interaction; therefore, they can support models of teaching and learning that are highly interactive and consonant with the communicative ideals of university education. Les médias éducatifs, tel le forum électronique, sont susceptibles d'engendrer un niveau élevé d'interaction entre les étudiants et entre le tuteur et chaque étudiant; par conséquent, ils peuvent soutenir des modèles d'enseignement et d'apprentissage qui mettent en valeur l'interaction et qui sont compatibles avec les idéaux communicationnels d'une éducation universitaire. Garrison et al. (2000) present a model (see Figure 1) of the teaching and learning transaction that capitalizes on the ease and abundance of interaction that is possible with media such as computer conferencing. Figure 1: Elements of an educational experience.
Virtual Spaces: Employing a Synchronous Online Classroom to Facilitate Student Engagement in Online Learning | McBrien J. Lynn McBrien and Phyllis Jones University of South Florida, USA Rui Cheng Nazareth College, USA Abstract This research study is a collaborative project between faculty in social foundations, special education, and instructional technology in which we analyze student data from six undergraduate and graduate courses related to the use of a virtual classroom space. Keywords: Distance learning; synchronous online learning; transactional distance theory; virtual classroom Introduction Rapidly developing technology has facilitated distance education in all disciplines, and it has proven to be popular among students for various reasons, such as convenience and equal opportunity. The use of synchronous conferencing techniques can offer opportunities for social interaction in a virtual classroom space. One study by Ng (2007) reported the use of a synchronous e-learning system (Interwise) for online tutoring offered by Open University of Hong Kong. Theoretical Framework E! Research Design Results