Clarity and Immediacy in Technology Mediated Communication between Teachers and Students in Tertiary Education in Russia

Abstract

ABSTRACT The introduction of digital learning systems in higher education all over the world has transformed the scope of teaching and learning significantly. The current study examined the relationships between historically prominent teacher communicative behaviors – clarity and immediacy – and student communication satisfaction in technology-mediated learning in Russia. We analyzed the information technology elements and visual cues contributing to teacher clarity and immediacy in technology-mediated communication and, consequently, leading to student communication satisfaction. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 43 students who studied in Microsoft Teams classrooms between October 2020 and February 2021. The interview questions included asking for an opinion on student communication satisfaction as well as teacher clarity and immediacy. The respondents also described the IT elements and visual cues which they considered the most effective in online education. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data collected through the interviews. The results showed that the level of student communication satisfaction varied significantly depending on the level of perceived teacher clarity and immediacy. A slight preference for more immediacy in technology-mediated communication was demonstrated by respondents. Furthermore, it was found that such IT elements and visual cues as presentations, screen sharing, web-based media, and documents uploaded onto a web platform intensified teacher clarity, whereas communication in online classes with web cameras on made the educational process more immediate. The combination of visual cues was especially appreciated. Learning implications for the connections between teacher clarity and immediacy and student communication satisfaction are discussed.