Abstract
<p>The axiom of humanity’s basic need to communicate provides the impetus to explore the nature and quality of computer-mediated communication as a vehicle for learning in higher education. This exploratory study examined the experiential communication perceptions of online doctoral students during the infancy of their program. Eighty-five students were electronically queried through a 32 item open-ended questionnaire within a 13 day time frame. Preliminary findings supported the experience of Seagren and Watwood (1996) at the Lincoln Campus of the University of Nebraska, that “more information widens learning opportunities, but without interaction, learning is not enhanced” (p. 514). The overarching implications stress that faculty development and instructional planning are essential for the effective delivery of online courses, and even more so when collaborative learning is used. Facilitating group communication and interaction are areas beckoning attention as we continue to effectively organize the online classroom of this new millennium.</p>
 <p><B>Key Words:</B> Computer-mediated communication, online instructional pedagogy, virtual classroom, online learning, higher education, interaction, immediacy</P>
Highlights
The axiom of humanity’s basic need to communicate provides the impetus to explore the nature and quality of computer-mediated communication as a vehicle for learning in higher education
In an effort to bridge the communication gulf created by sheer physical distance and to maintain a sense of connectedness, which some researchers consider critical (Eastmond, 1995; Kerka, 1996; Kimball, 1995), respondents expressed a desire to periodically engage in some form of real-time or synchronous activity
This appears to support Wilson’s (1997) assertion that “an important element of any virtual classroom [is] synchronous activity in which students and instructors interact through live voice or video” (p. 52)
Summary
Participants in this study were enrolled in Regent University’s School of Leadership Studies (SLS), which has been actively involved in the delivery of a doctoral program to mid-career professionals since 1996. The sheer number of email exchanges reflecting specific technological problems revealed that some students were using alternative programs, and this may have possibly be hampering their ability to download the questionnaire, and affecting their ability to participate. Another important variable potentially impacting the number of responses was the timing of the survey. Based upon the existing literature and designed to gather general descriptive information, the Communication Perception Questionnaire (CPQ) was comprised of 32 openended questions targeting perceptions of both general and group online communication, while an additional four questions to ascertain respondent demographics. A systematic analysis of the responses examining key adjectives and other descriptors revealed several recurrent themes
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