Interpreting Experiences of Teachers Using Online Technologies to Interact with Students in Blended Tertiary Environments

Abstract

This paper is part of a phenomenological study that examined teachers' and students' experiences using Educational Online Technologies (EOTs) in Blended Tertiary Environments (BTEs). Its aim was to understand how EOT engagement was experienced, to inform insights on EOT interactions, challenges, functionality and benefits. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 teachers and 10 students from New Zealand and Australia, and their EOT experiences explored, under a range of different interactions. A series of six papers, each based on a specific interaction type, detailed their experiences. This paper reports on teachers' EOT interactions with their students, in reference to three types of EOTs: Learning management systems, online video platforms, and online networking tools. Key aspects of the research approach adopted were detailed in the first of these six papers, and included the research questions, research significance, and research methodology. The strategies and rationales for participant selection, participant numbers, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data collection, and data analysis were also explained (Tuapawa, n.d.-a).