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Edited by Dr. Lynne Schrum, George Mason University
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| formerly Journal of Research on Computing in Education |
Volume 40 Number 4 Summer 2008
Effectiveness of Personal Interaction in a Learner-Centered Paradigm Distance Education Class Based on Student Satisfaction
Shu-Hui Hsieh Chang and Roger A. Smith
Iowa State University
Abstract
This study examined relationships between students’ perceptions of course-related interaction and their course satisfaction within the learner-centered paradigm in distance education. A Students’ Perceived Interaction Survey (SPIS) instrument was developed to examine nine separate hypotheses about the nature of course-related interaction. A volunteer sample of 855 students from the 949 students enrolled in Computer Science 103—Computer Literacy and Applications at Iowa State University in the fall of 2005 was used. This study employed a multiple linear regression. It concluded that student-instructor personal interaction, studentstudent personal interaction, and student-content interaction, along with students’ perceptions of WebCT features and gender were predictors of course satisfaction. In this study 94% of the participants indicated they were satisfied with the course. No significance was found in the relationships between student satisfaction and student-teaching assistant (TA) personal interaction, the student’s prior partial online distance education experience, the student’s prior entirely online distance education experience, and academic year. (Keywords: interaction, learner-center, student satisfaction, distance education.)
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Contributors
Shu-Hui Hsieh Chang is the director of distance education and a Blackboard/WebCT senior certified trainer for the Computer Science Department at Iowa State University. She has developed several online courses and has taught Computer Science 103 entirely online with about 1,000 students each semester for the past four years. Her main research interests include computer technologies in education, curriculum and instructional design, and evaluation and assessment in both traditional and distance education settings. Dr. Chang is a member of the university’s Distance Education Council. (Address: 116 Biscayne Street, Port Lavaca, TX 77979; 361.552.4702; shchang@iastate.edu)
Roger A. Smith is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. His research interests include distance education; student learning styles, issues related to retention and recruitment especially of community college transfer students, and training needs in industry. Dr. Smith is a member of the university’s Distance Education Council. (Address: N232B Lagomarcino Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011; 515.294.7001; rasmith@iastate.edu)
Copyright 2008, (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.
| interaction, learner-center, student satisfaction, distance education |
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