Technologically-mediated communication: student expectations and experiences in a FOMO society

Abstract

While technology enables a wider section of society to access higher education, accessing, as a process, fundamentally differs from acquiring the individual and systemic skills required for online learning. This study presents primary data about perceptions of, and experiences with, online learning in an Australian university from a survey of 289 distance education (DE) students. Epistemologically, it prioritises giving agency and voice to an increasingly disempowered collective, online learners, who often are institutionally pursued for economic advantage, rather than pedagogical interest in serving students' unique, individual needs/preferences. Participants' comparison of face-to-face and online learning experiences allowed for benefits and disadvantages of online learning to emerge from lived-experiences. While a key benefit of online learning was its perceived 'flexibility', findings revealed difference between students' conceptualisation of flexibility and institutional realities. Although DE students longed for non-technologically-medicated communication with peers and lecturers, the process of learning how to become a DE student failed to address students' needs/ concerns beyond technical skill acquisition and subject content mastery. Students' 'fear they were missing out' (FOMO) on 'better' internal classroom and learning experiences was a key limitation 85% perceived about DE. Whereas traditional classroom experiences generally were recalled favourably, online learning was described by its shortcomings. Findings demonstrate need for deeper investigation of how/why educational technologies are implemented. Conclusions suggest critical research investigating whether embedded technologies meet student and/or institutional needs and aspirations in globally competitive learning environments may assuage DE's stigma, realign expectations and improve teaching/learning experiences.

Learners’ perceptions and experiences of studying psychology online

“…Interestingly, all participants but one spontaneously used on-campus study as a reference point when sharing their experiences and perceptions related to online learning. Providers and educators that use campus-based learning as a reference point when presenting resources and opportunities in online learning may be contributing to unrealistic expectations of online learning and the fear of missing out on-campus-based learning (Ragusa 2017). The findings from the present study support previous research that revealed the opportunities and challenges of online learning compared to on-campus study.…”

“…;Yanuschik et al 2015;Mayer 2018). While the popularity of online learning can be attributed to the flexibility inherent to its medium, research has identified concerns related to student engagement (Prior et al 2016), retention rates (Mubarak et al 2020;Jo et al 2015), and reported perceptions of missing out on traditional classroom experiences (Ragusa 2017;Martinez et al 2020). Current trends indicate that a greater proportion of students engage in online learning than in the past (Li et al 2019).…”

Learning and Students’ Experiences with Blended Education

“…Furthermore, the Campus-based lectures and seminars are assessed as more dynamic/involving what again, according to the interviewed students, facilitates learning. Ragusa (2017) -Technologically-mediated communication: student expectations and experiences in a FOMO society,‖ discusses results of the students' survey on distance education (DE) at Australian University. One of the findings points out to the fact that, -Regardless of the convenience (…) electronic communication permitted, DE [distance education] students simply failed to believe interactive online platforms were a suitable substitute for ‗real' human interactions.…”

“…One of the findings points out to the fact that, -Regardless of the convenience (…) electronic communication permitted, DE [distance education] students simply failed to believe interactive online platforms were a suitable substitute for ‗real' human interactions. Face-to-face interactions, unlike TMC [technologically-mediated communication], were perceived motivational and thus crucial for academic learning‖ (Ragusa, 2017). With regard to online phase, the students appreciate the fact that they can work at their own pace (e.g., Ragusa, 2017).…”

“…Face-to-face interactions, unlike TMC [technologically-mediated communication], were perceived motivational and thus crucial for academic learning‖ (Ragusa, 2017). With regard to online phase, the students appreciate the fact that they can work at their own pace (e.g., Ragusa, 2017). They also appreciate the interactions with pre-recorded lectures -the possibilities to pause, to reflect, to watch again (e.g., Hadgu, Hoang-Vy Huynh, & Gopalan, 2016).…”