What types of interaction are going on in learning situations?

There are three types of interactions: interaction between the students and the instructor, interaction between the student and the content, and students' interaction with one another (Moore, 1993).

•  Instructor-student interaction: the instructor stimulates or maintains the student's interest, organizes the learning experience, presents information, assesses and provides information on progress, and provides counsel, support and encouragement.
   
•  Student-content interaction: it is this process of intellectually interacting with the content that results in changes in the learner's learning.
   
•  Student-student interaction: students consolidate their ideas, test hypotheses, challenge each others' ideas, debate, answer each others' questions and confirm opinions and attitudes.

How can online interactivity be enhanced?

       Instructor-Student Interaction

•   Frequent and timely dialogue (e.g., email, phone, discussion areas, chat room). Some institutions
    require that their online instructors check their email at least once a day, and update their web
    pages and discussions  at  least once a week.
•  Personalized attention. If a student suddenly stops contributing to the class discussion, or stops
   sending in email assignments, an email or a phone call from the instructor may help the student to feel
   less isolated and clear up miscommunication and confusion.
•  Just as the classroom instructor answers questions and guides the student through course materials
   in a traditional course, so too can online instruction facilitate student learning.
•  Student-faculty interaction can range from comments via email on the return of an assignment, to
   posing questions to guide reading and research, to leading discussions on a topic in a conference
   room.
  
  Student-Content Interaction
  
  Online instructors are learning facilitators, rather than "keepers of the content," as they guide students' learning experiences toward completion of the instructional goals and objectives. As such, instructors should:
•  organize materials carefully for clarity and prepare and plan for learning experiences that encourage students' active learning.
•  "do their homework" on any external links to ensure that they are reputable and consistently available. Please visit the following lists of questions to ask when considering including a website as a resource for your students. Faculty should also encourage their students to do the same.
               Evaluating Web Resources by Widener University
               Evaluating Website Content by Joe Landsberger

  Student-Student Interaction
  
  Student interaction can significantly help develop a sense of community and collaborative learning in an online course. Students can support one another during the "learning curve" associated with new technologies. In addition, students also need a sense of belonging to a class to alleviate feelings of isolation and anxiety and to maintain motivation. Students interaction can also enable students to move out of  their comfort zone and be exposed to new ideas and perspectives.

  However, simply bringing people together does not automatically create an interactive learning environment or a sense of community. To facilitate learning:

  •  a purpose for the interaction is necessary, and that purpose must be meaningful for the
     students.
  •  effective means of communication should be provided for the interaction that facilitates rather than complicates the exchange of ideas and opinions.

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What are some specific strategies for online interaction?

        Instructor-Student Interaction

•  panel discussion: a subject-matter expert begins a discussion on a topic, students join in at any point, and the expert plays a diminishing role as the discussion progresses.
•  electronic thank-you notes sent to students to let them know that you appreciate their efforts.
•  Students submit electronic brainstorming material, which becomes the basis for dialogue between instructor and students regarding the progress of the course.
•  lecture and discussion: instructor or guest lecturer presents material and poses questions in an online discussion area or chat room.
•  email or chat "office hours" for synchronous one-to-one or small group consultations provided.
•  "Welcome to the Class" email sent out as soon as students are registered, containing instructions for accessing the various aspects of the course, as well as a request for detailed information, so that you can begin compiling student profiles.
•  Students are asked to keep "Learning Logs," in which they digest learning content and record their reflection of learning activities. To help students get started for their reflection, an online instructor can ask students to think about what has been learned and to share their thoughts with the class in their learning logs. If necessary, provide beginners with the following sentences: I learned... I was surprise...I'm beginning to wonder...I rediscovered...I feel...I think I will...

       Student-Content Interaction

•  student-defined goals and objectives for the topic, lesson or course, including planned checkpoints or other means of assessment.
•  case analysis: independent study of a case, followed by a report or group analysis either in the discussion area or presented online using PowerPoint or web pages.
•  multi-tiered, hypertextual content presented in differing formats, customizable to students' individual interests, needs and learning styles.
•  video or PowerPoint lectures
•  illustrations, graphs, charts, technical drawings and other visuals
•  quizzes and other self-assessment activities
•  searchable glossaries
•  reading lists and hyperlinks
•  tutoring sessions
•  library activities
•  Learning Logs
•  interactive Java, Flash or other media modules
•  portfolio work: A collection of work (writings, reviews, quizzes, etc.) that the students prepare for evaluation in lieu of or in addition to traditional exams.

       Students-Student Interaction

•  create a general discussion area in the course site where students can "e-chat" academic or non-academic topics. Such an area is similar to a classroom hallway or a coffee shop where students can talk, if only at a distance.
•  virtual cocktail party: accomplished via discussion area or virtual space; the date and duration of the
    party are given in advance, and students are advised that during the session they should all contribute
    a minimum number of postings, one giving information about themselves, others responding to other
    students.
•  problem solving exercise: small groups develop solutions to real-world problems, through email or
   discussion areas.
•  Teamwork games
•  role-playing: MUDs and MOOs are forums based on role playing, but role-play can also be effective in chat
   rooms.
•  co-tutoring: students are assigned topics which they then 'teach' another student.
•  peer Assessment
•  collaborative writing projects: group research and writing, or individual work followed by peer critiques.
•  debate: the pros and cons of a particular issue are argued by a team, students express support for
   differing positions.
•  exchange of URLs, citations etc: information is posted for other students to access.
•  form a "buddy system" where students are paired up to provide them with support. You could possibly  match students up according to their technological experience or inexperience, based on information you receive from their profiles.

Modified from: University of Texas Telecampus.

References
Moore, M. (2000). Three types of interaction. In Mantyla, K. (ed.). The ASTD Distance Learning Yearbook. New York, McGraw Hill.