Media Relations

Communication Disorders Faculty Member has Article Published in Academic Journal

Date: Tuesday, January 1st, 2013

Jo Shackelford, faculty member in the Department of Communication Disorders, had an article published in the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL).

Sense of community in graduate online education: Contribution of learner to learner interaction

Jo L. Shackelford, Marge Maxwell

Abstract

Distance learning technologies offer a multitude of ways to build interaction into online courses to support learning. Based on social constructivism theory, this study explored which types of interaction are most predictive of students’ sense of community in online graduate courses at a regional comprehensive university. Surveys were used to measure sense of community and the frequency and importance of nine learner–learner interactions.

Interactions that were most predictive of sense of community were introductions, collaborative group projects, sharing personal experiences, entire class discussions, and exchanging resources. The interaction that offered the highest payoff to instructors was exchanging resources. The article discusses implications for online course design.

Please click here to read the entire article.

Dr. Jo Shackelford