Asynchronous Online Learning Environment Research Articles

Development of the human interaction dimension of the Self‐Regulated Learning Questionnaire in asynchronous online learning environments

Two studies focusing on the development and validation of the Online Self‐Regulated Learning Inventory (OSRLI) were conducted. The OSRLI is a self‐report instrument assessing the human interaction dimension of online self‐regulated learning. It consists of an affect/motivation scale and an interaction strategies scale. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis of an initial affect/motivation item pool yielded four factors: enjoyment of human interaction, self‐efficacy for interaction with instructors, concern for interaction with students, and self‐efficacy for contributing to the online community. Exploratory factor analysis of an initial learning strategies item pool revealed three factors: writing strategies, responding strategies, and reflection strategies. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the stability of multidimensional factor structures. These exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed the OSRLI to be statistically moderate in terms of reliability and validity.

Strategies for Creating Community in a Graduate Education Online Program

This article describes the practical application of social learning theory to build and sustain community in an asynchronous online learning environment. It presents ways that community-building can occur in a graduate online education program through the shared meaning-making processes occurring among students within and across interdisciplinary online courses as communities of practice emerge. Three professors share their experiences and strategies for developing, teaching, reflecting, and learning about creating communities of practice. Strategies include using interactive learning experiences, flexible grouping, extended online discussions, e-mail and journaling, video, digital storytelling, and power point presentations. Examples of online discussions show how student learning is situated in the group interactions revealing shared values, beliefs and practices generated within the online community.

Using asynchronous online discussions in primary school project work

<span>Using asynchronous online discussions for interschool collaborative project work represents one of the innovative practices in the Singapore classroom. With anytime, anywhere access to interactions among the students and teachers, the asynchronous nature of these interactions leads to new paradigms for teaching and learning, with both unique problems of coordination and unique opportunities to support active participation and collaborative learning. A research study was conducted to investigate how primary school students participate and learn in project work based on co-construction of knowledge in asynchronous online learning environments. 10 teachers and 20 students from 5 primary schools participated in this half-year long research study. Teachers crafted project tasks for implementation at the students' level and these tasks were addressed collaboratively by the students who formed project groups with members from another school. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of students' activity in the asynchronous online environment were conducted. Students' sent and received notes as well as the frequency of scaffolds used in the online environment were evaluated. Each note was also ranked according to Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson's (1997)</span><em>Interaction Analysis Model.</em><span> The findings provided evidence to suggest that primary school students participating in the online project work learning environment were capable of the co-construction of knowledge up till Phase IV of the</span><em>Interaction Analysis Model.</em>

The Efficacy of Case Method Teaching in an Online Asynchronous Learning Environment

Case method teaching is a method of instruction that can improve the cognitive learning process. This method is used extensively in face-to-face classes. However, when it is applied to a distance education class in an online asynchronous environment, learning outcomes may differ. This article reports on a study that compares the use of case method teaching in face-to-face and online asynchronous environments. Four hypotheses on student performance were proposed. Correlation analysis supported all of the hypotheses. Other interesting findings regarding online learning also were reported as a result of the data analysis. Overall, an online asynchronous environment can promote students’ participation in certain cases; however, cognitive learning gains do not seem to be as high as in the face-to-face environment. With distance education becoming more prevalent, this is a rich area for future research.

Differential Impacts of Social Presence on the Behavior Modeling Approach

The continued and increasing use of online asynchronous learning (OAL) environments for training raises the question whether and to what extent behavior modeling, the most effective training method in live instruction, will prove to be effective in OAL environments. This article analyzes the effect of applying behavior modeling training in an OAL environment. Behavior modeling training can be delivered in three modes: face-to-face, videotaped, and scripted. Each behavior modeling mode expresses social presence to a different degree, which could impact both learning performance and the willingness of students to take online asynchronous training. This study reports on the effect of behavior modeling mode on these variables in an OAL environment. Nine hypotheses were proposed. Four hypotheses were supported and five were not. This research found that the face-to-face environment is not significantly more effective than an OAL environment.

Affective Learning Outcomes in Workplace Training: A Test of Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Online Learning Environments

Research employing an experimental design pilot-tested two delivery platforms, WebCT ™ and vClass ™, for the generation of affective learning outcomes in the workplace. Using a sample of volunteer participants in the help-desk industry, participants were randomly assigned to one of the two types of delivery software. Thirty-eight subjects participated from 10 different corporations across Western Canada. Course-delivery observations suggested greater engagement and more interaction among participants in the WebCT ™ group. Exam scores showed a higher mean for the WebCT ™ group, but differences between means were not statistically significant.

Building Knowledge Building Communities: Consistency, Contact and Communication in the Virtual Classroom

This article looks at factors affecting the success of asynchronous online learning both through a review of the research literature and through an empirical investigation of student perceptions and course design factors in one of the largest asynchronous learning networks in the country. It finds that three such factors—consistency in course design, contact with course instructors, and active discussion—have been consistently shown to significantly influence the success of online courses. It is posited that the reason for these findings relates to the importance of building knowledge building communities in asynchronous online learning environments.