Thoughts on Professional Learning: Organizing Interactions in the Online Environment

Organizing Interactions in the Online Environment

By Nadia Kader

Are you worried about engagement in your online class? Are you getting ready to start online instruction but are unsure how? Online instruction can be challenging even for the most seasoned practitioners. At the forefront, there is so much to consider: audience, engagement, resources, tech tools, and support. At Propel, one of our priorities is to support you in designing, developing, and delivering the best online learning possible.

This article intends to discuss what transactional distance is and what the four interaction points to consider are in order to bridge the transactional distance between students and their instructors. Instructors may use this information to better design their online courses. Administrators may use this information to support online course design and instructors in improving their practice with pointed feedback and potential solutions. 

Transactional distance is a theory that hypothesizes that distance is pedagogical, not geographical (Chen, 2012). In other words, the distance between the instructor and students in a distance learning environment needs to address psychological and communication needs which arise when there is physical distance. Mitigating transactional distance can reduce communication gaps and create a more connected learning environment, which is essential for the success of distance learning classes.

The four interactions that constitute online learning are:

1. Learner-content
2. Learner-instructor
3. Learner-learner
4. Learner-interface

In the following paragraphs, I will break down each interaction by their definition, introduce some solutions to alleviate the transactional distance, and include a classroom example. 

Learner-content interaction refers to the method(s) in which learners access knowledge and skills from class materials (Chen, 2012). If you’re teaching a high school equivalency course, the content would be the standards-aligned subjects students need to pass the high school equivalency exam such as math, reading, writing, social studies, and science. While online and in-person environments have their differences, the need for pedagogical strategies for engagement and learning transfer are similar. When we design learning experiences, we are not only introducing content, but how to engage with the content to make learning stick.

Classroom example: 

Jorge teaches an online fast-paced math course as a part of an IET CNA (Integrated Education and Training Certified Nursing Assistant) program. Jorge organizes homework using a learning management system (LMS) with additional resources for students to practice on their own. His math assignments use different modalities to help keep students interested and motivated.  Jorge has also learned over time which topics work best with which modalities. He includes a lot of formative assessment after each topic change in order to ensure his students are retaining the material. 

Jorge’s different modalities of content instruction:

• Mini lectures & videos for introduction to new content and additional resources
• Interactive games and project-based learning for practice
• Game show-type quizzes and forum questions  for formative assessment

Learner-instructor interaction refers to the motivation, feedback, and dialogue between instructor and learner (Chen, 2012). With online learning, there is additional space between the instructor and their learners, particularly in how to communicate needs. How do your learners reach out to you when they need support? How are they receiving feedback from you? Even before the course starts, it is essential that you have a plan for how communication channels are expected to work.

Classroom example:

During orientation in an HSE program, new students are introduced to Google tools and online communication procedures such as how to send an email to their instructor, how to log in to Google Classroom, and how to join a Google Meet. This all occurs before Lori’s HSE class even starts.

Lori created a syllabus for her HSE class and uploaded it to Google Classroom before the first day of class. The syllabus outlined class policies, expectations, and how to communicate with Lori outside of class. Lori includes her email and a Google phone number students can call if they need additional support. 

Lori’s class meets twice per week synchronously using Google Meet. The learners complete homework assignments through Google Classroom. Lori adds comments on their assignments with feedback, and the students can resubmit assignments if they choose to. Lori also has online office hours where students can drop in with questions and for extra support. She drops Google Meet links to the office hours on the Google Classroom announcements page every week so the students are reminded that she is available. 

Each student is required to meet with Lori one-on-one at least once during the term to discuss progress and any barriers the student may be experiencing. These meetings help Lori strengthen her relationships with her students.

Lori’s communication channels:

• Google Classroom for assignment feedback and reminders
• Google Meet for synchronous meetings
• Email and Google phone number
• One-on-one meetings

Learner-learner interaction includes dialogue and idea exchange between learners (Chen, 2012). Learner-learner interaction is important for building social presence. Social presence refers to “the degree of feeling, perception, and reaction with another in an online environment” (Tu and McIsaac, as cited in Wei et al, 530). Social presence is composed of three factors: co-presence, intimacy, and immediacy. For the purpose of this article, I am focusing on co-presence, or the feeling of “being together” in an online environment (Zhao, 2003, as cited in Wei et al, 2012). Being together is essential for learners to interact, connect, and engage with each other, the instructor, and the content.

Classroom example:

In Julie’s asynchronous HSE class, the instructor pairs students to work collaboratively on an essay debating whether marijuana should be legalized federally or not. Julie and her classmates work on a Google Doc together and meet at least twice synchronously on Google Meet to discuss the feedback they’ve been given by their instructor. 

Julie’s learner-learner interaction:

• Google Docs assignment where students write together, and instructor provides feedback
• Google Meet for synchronous communication

Learner-interface interaction is between the learner and the technological mediums in order to interact with the content, instructor, and other learners (Chen, 460-461). In online learning, all interactions (how the students join class, complete work, meet with their instructor, and receive feedback) are mediated by technology. For example: 

• Communicating expectations of class policies is mediated by Microsoft Word
• Submitting classwork is mediated by LMS
• Communicating with other students is mediated by discussion boards and chat app

Therefore, it is essential that learners are oriented on what technology is used to communicate with the program staff, the instructor, and other learners; submit work; and access resources. When there is distance with learner-interface, learners are much more likely to struggle with assignment completion and communication with others. 

Classroom example: 

Tam is an ESL student in a local university adult education program. When they first signed up for the program, they joined online orientation where program staff taught students how to create and log into student email accounts, how to join a Zoom meeting, how to request a meeting with their instructor, how to take an exam online using the online platform, and how to access local community resources.  Program staff showed Tam how to download the email app on their phone in order to communicate with their instructor and fellow classmates. They also showed Tam how to join Burlington English for additional ESL practice on the computer.

Tam’s technology interfaces:

• Email app on mobile device
• Burlington English platform on computer
• Zoom for synchronous meetings

When designing online instruction, it is important to consider how your learners are interacting with each other, the interface, the content, and of course you, the instructor. Planning with these four interactions can ease the transition to an online learning environment and contribute to more positive interactions. This can lead to higher MSGs and retention rates in the online class. 

One of the DELT (Distance Education Learning Technology) team’s goals is to support practitioners in developing a distance education knowledge base to expand New Mexico’s adult education reach. This article is just one of many resources DELT provides to New Mexico practitioners. You can find more information on the NMDELT website.

Resources

Chen, Y. (2001). Dimensions of transactional distance in the worldwide web learning environment: A factor analysis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 32(4), 459–470. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8535.00213

Wei, C.-W., Chen, N.-S., & Kinshuk (2012). A model for social presence in online classrooms. Educational Technology Research and Development, 60(3), 529–545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-012-9234-9