Chapter 8: Discussion of Research Question Two and Research Question Three
2. LITERATURE REVIEW 1 Introduction
2.16 Interactive Learning
2.16.2 Learner-Learner Interaction
In Saudi Arabia, Almosa (2002) described learner-learner interactions in e-learning as a process of differentiating similar interactions in traditional learning where individual learning was supported. He demonstrated that group learning had positive results and helped learners’ social skills, as well as enabling them to complete tasks which were important for the establishment of acknowledged learning communities. Interactive environments replaced direct human interaction.
The relevance of this to the academic achievement of learners was one concern of this study. In London, it was discovered imperative that ICT utilisation in education gives proper consideration regarding each available form of interactivity (Garrison & Anderson, 2003). Tirri and Kuusisto (2013) noted in their study done in Finland that learning happens when a student interacts with different students or with a situation, paying little respect to a subject area, instructional design or the innovation in place as a part of the learning process. Gutierrez et al. (2007) reported in their study conducted at the University of the Philippines-Diliman that the learners' interaction with their companions gives more noticeable benefits to the achievement of learning outcomes. It is interesting to note that these studies were conducted in both developed and developing countries with different cultural backgrounds, but with similar findings. The reason could be that in an online discussion forum, students were privileged to exchange knowledge and ideas with their peers, instructors, faculty members and engage with the learning environment. Is this applicable to distance e-learners that interact on i-learning or Internet learning discussion forums where they interact with their colleagues, course content and facilitator? This study suggested answers to this question and made a finding.
The above literature clearly showed that these studies were conducted outside the Nigerian context but the present study was keen to determine if learner-learner interaction is a key factor in academic performance, as postulated in hypothesis H14. The results of the finding revealed what the outcome was in a Nigerian setting (Chapter 6).
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Picciano (2002) noticed that online learning requires modification with respect to students and instructors for effective communication and cooperation to happen. Picciano's study searched for associations between student interaction and participation, and online courses, yet did not discover a statistically significant relationship. In Finland, Hargreaves et al. (2010) recommended that viable interactive teaching, which is recognised by consistent mutual interaction between the teacher and the learner, involves the exchange of thoughts and not conventional methods of dictation, response and feedback which results from a teacher’s questions. Muijs and Reynolds (2010) in their study conducted in Australia distinguished interactive learning in terms of the nature and efficacy of the interaction between the teacher and the students. They recommended that interaction empowers the instructor to affirm that the learner comprehends the content that has been taught. It helps the students to practise and master target skills and obviously highlights the way they think. It additionally helps the instructor to offer focused learning support. Many studies conducted at the State University of New York, the University of Central Florida and the University of Nebraska (Diedrich, 2010; Nugent, 2009; Knoell, 2012) revealed that students- teacher interactions are significant to students’ academic performance. Agudo-Peregrina et al.
(2014) found that academic performance mostly depended on student-instructor and student- student interactions in internet learning settings at Universidad Politechnica de Madrid in Spain.
Zhao, et al. (2005) reported in their meta-analytic research on distance education conducted in the United States, that of all the available forms of interaction in e-learning the most significant one was the student-teacher interaction. Miyazoe and Anderson (2010) in their study conducted at the Universities of Tokyo and Taipei found that the learner-instructor interaction was the most effective in distance learning situation.
All the studies reviewed above were conducted mostly in advanced countries and they all reported that student-teacher interaction influenced academic performance in either traditional or distance education. The reason may be that the mode of teaching in advanced countries encourages teacher and students’ interaction and probably discourages a teacher-dominated approach, which in turn reflects in their academic performance. It is pertinent therefore to determine if learner-instructor- interaction affect academic performance of distance e-learners in Nigeria as a developing country, as postulated in hypothesis H1. The results of the finding will reveal what the outcome was in the Nigerian setting (Chapter 6).
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Under conventional methods of learning and before the incorporation of ICT into teaching and learning, many studies have reported that interaction between students and teachers has influenced their academic performance. The present study therefore examined the influence of interaction between student and instructor, student and content, student and student on academic performance of distance e-learners. Marks et al. (2005) investigated the significance of student-student, student- instructor and student-content interaction types as predictors of perceived learning and satisfaction with an online course at the University of Wisconsin. They included perceived advantages of online courses, students’ personal characteristics and experience with online learning environments as variables in the structural equation modelling analysis. Their findings revealed that student-instructor interactions were the strongest predictors of perceived learning. Interactions among students were also positively associated with perceived learning, but the strength of the association was much lower than in the case of student-instructor interactions. Only certain student-content interactions (i.e., individual and group projects) were significantly associated with perceived learning and students' satisfaction (Marks et al., 2005). Marks et al.’s study was carried on outside Nigeria and with on-campus students but the present study was carried out in Nigeria to investigate the influence of student-student, student-instructor and student-content interaction on academic performance of distance e-learners. The present study is also in invariance with Mark et al.’s study because interaction as predictors of academic performance is the interest of study.
In the Turkey, Nesliha and Mustapha (2016) considered interaction as central to the educational experience and they claimed it should be the primary focus in the study of learning outcomes in online classes.
Interaction has been found to be a critical element for the overall success and effectiveness of distance education and e-learning (Neo, 2003; Rovai, 2002; Sher, 2009). Alstete and Beutell (2004) indicated that active participation and involvement of students using e-learning was positively and significantly related to overall course performance for MBA students. Their study was limited to MBA students but the present study covered both undergraduates and postgraduate students. The interaction (student-student or student-instructor) can be regarded as the heart of the learning experience in both the traditional and online learning environment (Wanstreet, 2006).
Algahtani (2011) reported that there was a statistically significant correlation (at 0.01 level) between learning interaction through e-learning and academic performance of distance learners.
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This indicated that the items in each dimension are internally homogeneous and all the correlations are statistically significant at 0.01, indicating a strong and positive relationship between the dimensions and the scale. Many studies reported that student-to-student and student-to-instructor interactions are important elements in the design and successful implementation of online learning courses.
Alstete and Beutell (2004) found that discussion board usage was the most effective determinant of student performance in online classes. This finding was supported by the fact that the number of student sessions was positively and significantly related to overall course performance. Holley (2002) found that university students taking part in an entirely online course scored higher grades than students who studied in regular learning settings. Interactions are viewed as one of the most significant indicators of academic success in a distance and online instruction (Donnelly, 2010;
Muirhead & Juwah, 2005). There was no precise answer to which type of interaction was more effective in certain educational situations (Miyazoe & Anderson, 2010). The researcher is of the opinion that this study provides the precise answer to the type of interaction that is more powerful in distance learning in an e-learning setting. Agudo-Peregrina et al. (2014) noted that academic performance mostly depended on student-instructor and student-student interactions in Internet learning settings. This study will further reveal the predictive power of the three important types of interaction discussed above on academic performance of distance learners under an e-learning setting in the Nigerian context.