Keywords

class size, distance education, interaction, virtual classrooms, teaching methods, online courses

Abstract

This study explored the nature of teacher-student interaction from the perspective of eight virtual school teachers in an asynchronous, self-paced, statewide, supplemental virtual high school. Using intensity sampling, eight teachers who varied across discipline, grade level, and course completion rates were student-initiated and instructional in nature. The main procedural interactions focused on notifications sent to inactive students. Social interactions were minimal and viewed as having little pedagogical value. Institutional barriers such as class size and an absence of effective tracking mechanisms limited the amount and types of interaction teachers engaged in. Study implications and future research are discussed.

Original Publication Citation

Hawkins, A., Barbour, M.K., & Graham, C.R. (211) Strictly business: Teacher perceptions of interaction in virtual schooling. Journal of Distance Education. 25(2), 211.