Participating in Synchronous Online Education
(2007) In Lund Studies in Informatics 6.- Abstract
- There is an increasing need for education since the workforce of today is expected to be highly educated and continuously learn. Distance education is a powerful response to meet the growing need for education. Online education, here concisely defined as distance education mediated online, is the most common type of distance education. It mainly relies on asynchronous communication although it is well known that many students regard the lack of synchronous communication as disadvantageous. This thesis aims to achieve a deeper understanding of how, why and when synchronous communication, as a complement to asynchronous communication, affects student participation in online education.
In order to study the complex... (More) - There is an increasing need for education since the workforce of today is expected to be highly educated and continuously learn. Distance education is a powerful response to meet the growing need for education. Online education, here concisely defined as distance education mediated online, is the most common type of distance education. It mainly relies on asynchronous communication although it is well known that many students regard the lack of synchronous communication as disadvantageous. This thesis aims to achieve a deeper understanding of how, why and when synchronous communication, as a complement to asynchronous communication, affects student participation in online education.
In order to study the complex phenomenon of online student participation, various qualitative and quantitative data collection methods for assessing both perceived participation and actual participation were used. The aim was investigated in two offerings of an online undergraduate course and two series of online discussions on master level, and by conducting focus group interviews with experienced practitioners.
The findings indicate that synchronous communication has the potential to enhance online student participation. Light was shed on two dimensions of participation, which were labelled personal participation and cognitive participation. The thesis suggests that synchronous communication, as a complement to asynchronous communication, may better support personal participation. This is likely to induce arousal and motivation, and increased convergence on meaning, especially in smaller groups. Synchronous communication seems particularly beneficial for supporting task and social support relations, and to exchange information with a lower degree of complexity. By drawing on the studies of the thesis and previous research, propositions on when to support synchronous communication in online education were suggested. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Behovet av utbildning ökar eftersom dagens anställda förväntas vara välutbildade och fortlöpande förkovra sig. Distansutbildning är ett kraftfullt sätt att möta detta behov. Nätbaserad utbildning, vilket enkelt kan definieras som distansutbildning via internet, är den vanligaste typen av distansutbildning. Inom nätbaserad utbildning är asynkron (fördröjd) kommunikation, via exempelvis e-post eller diskussionsfora, vanligt förekommande trots att många studenter upplever bristen på synkron (direkt) kommunikation, via exempelvis chatt eller videokonferens, som problematisk. Avhandlingen syftar till att ge en djupare förståelse av hur, varför och när synkron kommunikation, som ett komplement till... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Behovet av utbildning ökar eftersom dagens anställda förväntas vara välutbildade och fortlöpande förkovra sig. Distansutbildning är ett kraftfullt sätt att möta detta behov. Nätbaserad utbildning, vilket enkelt kan definieras som distansutbildning via internet, är den vanligaste typen av distansutbildning. Inom nätbaserad utbildning är asynkron (fördröjd) kommunikation, via exempelvis e-post eller diskussionsfora, vanligt förekommande trots att många studenter upplever bristen på synkron (direkt) kommunikation, via exempelvis chatt eller videokonferens, som problematisk. Avhandlingen syftar till att ge en djupare förståelse av hur, varför och när synkron kommunikation, som ett komplement till asynkron kommunikation, påverkar studenters deltagande i nätbaserad utbildning.
För att få en rik förståelse av studenters deltagande via internet har ett antal datainsamlingsmetoder använts för att studera både upplevt deltagande och faktiskt deltagande. Studierna genomfördes i nätbaserade kurser på både grundläggande nivå och magisternivå, samt genom fokusgrupper med erfarna praktiker. Resultaten indikerar att synkron kommunikation kan förbättra studenters deltagande via internet. Två dimensioner av deltagande urskiljdes, vilka benämndes personligt deltagande och kognitivt deltagande. Synkron kommunikation kan användas som ett komplement till asynkron kommunikation för att stödja personligt deltagande. Detta kan ge upphov till ökad motivation och gemensam förståelse, särskilt i mindre grupper. Synkron kommunikation verkar särskilt lämplig för att stödja planering och sociala relationer, samt för att utbyta information med en lägre grad av komplexitet. I slutet av avhandlingen föreslås ett antal riktlinjer om när det kan vara lämpligt att kommunicera synkront i nätbaserad utbildning. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/599311
- author
- Hrastinski, Stefan LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Associate Professor Nuldén, Urban, IT University of Göteborg
- organization
- publishing date
- 2007
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Technological sciences, Samhällsvetenskaper, Social sciences, systemteori, Computer-mediated communication, Online participation, Synchronous communication, Online education, Teknik, E-learning, Distance education, Informatics, Informatik, systems theory
- in
- Lund Studies in Informatics
- volume
- 6
- publisher
- KFS AB
- defense location
- Holger Crafoord Centre, EC2:101, Ole Römers väg 6
- defense date
- 2007-12-20 13:15:00
- ISSN
- 1651-1816
- ISBN
- 978-91-977186-1-5
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4952b9d3-95f5-42da-a4a4-0b10f7a8965c (old id 599311)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:16:36
- date last changed
- 2019-05-21 19:57:46
@phdthesis{4952b9d3-95f5-42da-a4a4-0b10f7a8965c,
abstract = {{There is an increasing need for education since the workforce of today is expected to be highly educated and continuously learn. Distance education is a powerful response to meet the growing need for education. Online education, here concisely defined as distance education mediated online, is the most common type of distance education. It mainly relies on asynchronous communication although it is well known that many students regard the lack of synchronous communication as disadvantageous. This thesis aims to achieve a deeper understanding of how, why and when synchronous communication, as a complement to asynchronous communication, affects student participation in online education.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
In order to study the complex phenomenon of online student participation, various qualitative and quantitative data collection methods for assessing both perceived participation and actual participation were used. The aim was investigated in two offerings of an online undergraduate course and two series of online discussions on master level, and by conducting focus group interviews with experienced practitioners.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The findings indicate that synchronous communication has the potential to enhance online student participation. Light was shed on two dimensions of participation, which were labelled personal participation and cognitive participation. The thesis suggests that synchronous communication, as a complement to asynchronous communication, may better support personal participation. This is likely to induce arousal and motivation, and increased convergence on meaning, especially in smaller groups. Synchronous communication seems particularly beneficial for supporting task and social support relations, and to exchange information with a lower degree of complexity. By drawing on the studies of the thesis and previous research, propositions on when to support synchronous communication in online education were suggested.}},
author = {{Hrastinski, Stefan}},
isbn = {{978-91-977186-1-5}},
issn = {{1651-1816}},
keywords = {{Technological sciences; Samhällsvetenskaper; Social sciences; systemteori; Computer-mediated communication; Online participation; Synchronous communication; Online education; Teknik; E-learning; Distance education; Informatics; Informatik; systems theory}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{KFS AB}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund Studies in Informatics}},
title = {{Participating in Synchronous Online Education}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4623381/600490.pdf}},
volume = {{6}},
year = {{2007}},
}