Virtual Spaces: Employing a Synchronous Online Classroom to Facilitate Student Engagement in Online Learning

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. Transactional distance theory (Moore & Kearsley, 1996) operates as our theoretical framework as we explore the role of a virtual classroom in distance education and analyze the ways in which a synchronous learning environment affects students' learning experiences. Elluminate Live! was the software employed in the virtual classroom. In this analysis, particular themes emerged related to dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy. In addition, students rated convenience, technical issues, and pedagogical preferences as important elements in their learning experiences. The article discusses these themes as a contribution to reducing the -distance‖ that students experience in online learning and to developing quality distance education experiences for students in higher education.

The Effect of Synchronous and Asynchronous Participation on Students' Performance in Online Accounting Courses

“…These communities are characterised by fluid and co-created learning processes where the faculty member is no longer an information provider, but a facilitator and member in the process of knowledge creation. To create this in a traditional classroom environment is difficult for many educators and more difficult in the online environment (McBrien et al 2009). …”

“…Kubey et al (2001) find greater use of synchronous communications is associated with impaired academic performance more so than asynchronous applications. McBrien et al (2009) find students rated synchronous virtual classrooms highly due to the convenience, autonomy and quality of discussions they evoked. In contrast, Perera and Richardson (2010) find the quantity of material accessed via asynchronous forums and the quantity of asynchronous discussion interaction, rather than time spent online per se, positively impacts final exam performance.…”

Synkrone online læringsmiljøer – didaktisk design for synkron undervisning understøttet af digitale teknologier

“…2005). Dette forhindrer dog ikke, at Moores teori har inspireret senere forskning til at fokusere på det didaktiske design, og hvordan dette understøtter oplevelsen af social presence for den studerende (McBrien, 2009).…”

Question-Answer Activities in Synchronous Virtual Classrooms in Terms of Interest and Usefulness

“…The greatest advantage of distance education is the assembly of learners and instructors from different places in a single environment and timeframe without the limitation of place or setting (McBrien, Jones & Cheng, 2009;West & Jones, 2007). Synchronous practices often involve synchronous virtual classrooms, during which instructors conduct lectures via video conferencing.…”

“…In this way, learners can actively interact with the lecturer, classmates, and the interface (De Freitas & Neumann, 2009). Synchronous class platforms generally include tools that allow for sending messages, sharing files, and posting images and audio, and prompting simultaneous participation (Engle & Parent-Stevens, 1999;McBrien et al, 2009).…”