The Importance of Interactions in Online Instruction: Part 3: Learner–Learner

Abstract

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, educators grapple with the challenges of creating meaningful content in online courses in higher education. Specifically, designing an online curriculum that increases student motivation, student engagement, and student learning. Learner–Learner (LL) interactions are a key component in not only face-to-face learning, but also online learning. The purpose of this article to share the importance of LL interaction via best practices, examples, and applications in the context of online sexuality education for P–12. However, these ideas for integration of LL interaction best practices and strategies are suitable and can be adjusted for a wide variety of online courses, across all grade levels. The authors share three core practice principles that focus on nurturing LL interactions in online courses: 1) Netiquette expectations, 2) Students’ independent channels of communications, and 3) Content-specific peer feedback.