Abstract
Online learning environments could be well understood as a multifaceted phenomenon affected by different aspects of learner participation including synchronous/asynchronous interactions. The aim of this study was to investigate learners’ participation in online courses, synchronous interaction with a conversational virtual agent, their relationships with learner performance, and the participation/interaction factor identification. To examine learner participation, we collected learning management system (LMS) log data that included the frequency and length of course access, discussion board postings, and final grades. To examine synchronous learner interaction, we collected learners’ conversation logs from the conversational agent. We calculated the quantity and quality of discussion postings and conversations with the agent. The results showed that the frequency and length of course access, the quantity and quality of discussion postings, and the quality of conversation with the agent were significantly associated with the learner achievement. This study also identified two factors that comprise online learning participation and interaction: interaction quality and LMS-oriented interaction.
Highlights
Enrollment in online courses has sharply increased, in higher education (Seaman, Allen, & Seaman, 2018), boosting educational researchers’ interest in online learning
We found no statistically significant difference of all seven variables among the participating online courses (Final Grade: F(3, 52) = .79, p = .51; System Access: F(3, 52) = 1.38, p = .23; Time Spent: F(3, 52) = .56, p = .64; Discussion Length: F(3, 52) = 1.00, p = .40; Discussion Quality: F(3, 52) = 1.16, p = .34; Conversation Length: F(3, 52) = 1.97, p =.13; Conversation Quality: F(3, 52) = .37, p = .78), perhaps due to our small sample size
Our analyses indicated that two distinct factors were underlying learners’ participation behaviors in online courses including synchronous and asynchronous interaction activities
Summary
Enrollment in online courses has sharply increased, in higher education (Seaman, Allen, & Seaman, 2018), boosting educational researchers’ interest in online learning. Researchers in this field are redefining our understanding of presence in light of the ability of individuals to interact extensively online with learning content, instructors, peers, and the learning environment. Low learner participation is one of the most significant issues in online education. This could be caused by poorly designed interaction opportunities for learners. It is imperative that we design online learning environments to foster meaningful interactions for learners (Bettinger, Liu, & Loeb, 2016; Goggins & Xing, 2016; Hrastinski, 2008)
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