STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN ONLINE LEARNING: HELPFULNESS AND EFFECTS ON TEACHING, SOCIAL, AND COGNITIVE PRESENCE

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Salloum, S. (2011). STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN ONLINE LEARNING: HELPFULNESS AND EFFECTS ON TEACHING, SOCIAL, AND COGNITIVE PRESENCE. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

Distance learning continues to be used in the context of teacher training in special education. Distance learning is experienced through computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools via the Internet, or online learning. Little research has been done to evaluate student perceptions of the helpfulness of CMC tools in online learning. This quantitative study utilizes an online survey of graduate and certification teachers in training for special education. The survey evaluates student perceptions of CMC tool helpfulness, social presence, teaching presence and cognitive presence. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses are used to evaluate mean differences for different combinations of CMC tool usage and for possible relationships between tool helpfulness and social or teaching presence. Additional demographic variables of gender, level of study, registration status, concentration of study, prior online courses taken and years of teaching experience are also evaluated for possible relationships with social, teaching, and cognitive presence.Results suggest that participants were comfortable with using CMC tools and perceived e-mail, discussion forums, news forums, web-conferencing, and text chat as helpful tools for social and teaching presence communications. Participants using discussion forums perceived higher teaching and cognitive presence than those using only web-conferencing. Participants using both discussion forums and web-conferencing perceived higher cognitive presence than those using only web-conferencing. Results of standard multiple regressions indicated that 31% of the variance in teaching presence (24% of variance in social presence) was accounted for by knowing helpfulness scores on e-mail, discussion forums, and news forums. Discussion forums were most helpful for promoting teaching presence. E-mail was most helpful for promoting social presence.There were no statistically significant mean differences among groups based on gender, level of study, registration status, concentration of study, or years of teaching experience. Results suggest that perceptions of teaching and cognitive presence may decline as the number of online courses taken increases.

Details
Author

Salloum, Sara

Title

STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN ONLINE LEARNING: HELPFULNESS AND EFFECTS ON TEACHING, SOCIAL, AND COGNITIVE PRESENCE

Physical Description

1 online resource (171 pages) : PDF

Date

2011

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

Distance learning continues to be used in the context of teacher training in special education. Distance learning is experienced through computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools via the Internet, or online learning. Little research has been done to evaluate student perceptions of the helpfulness of CMC tools in online learning. This quantitative study utilizes an online survey of graduate and certification teachers in training for special education. The survey evaluates student perceptions of CMC tool helpfulness, social presence, teaching presence and cognitive presence. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses are used to evaluate mean differences for different combinations of CMC tool usage and for possible relationships between tool helpfulness and social or teaching presence. Additional demographic variables of gender, level of study, registration status, concentration of study, prior online courses taken and years of teaching experience are also evaluated for possible relationships with social, teaching, and cognitive presence.Results suggest that participants were comfortable with using CMC tools and perceived e-mail, discussion forums, news forums, web-conferencing, and text chat as helpful tools for social and teaching presence communications. Participants using discussion forums perceived higher teaching and cognitive presence than those using only web-conferencing. Participants using both discussion forums and web-conferencing perceived higher cognitive presence than those using only web-conferencing. Results of standard multiple regressions indicated that 31% of the variance in teaching presence (24% of variance in social presence) was accounted for by knowing helpfulness scores on e-mail, discussion forums, and news forums. Discussion forums were most helpful for promoting teaching presence. E-mail was most helpful for promoting social presence.There were no statistically significant mean differences among groups based on gender, level of study, registration status, concentration of study, or years of teaching experience. Results suggest that perceptions of teaching and cognitive presence may decline as the number of online courses taken increases.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education
Education, Higher
Educational technology

Degree

D.Ed.

Keywords

Cognitive Presence
Computer-Mediated Communication
Online Learning
Social Presence
Special Education Teacher Training
Teaching Presence

Subject Area

Educational Leadership

Advisor(s)

Gretes, John

Committee Members

Lambert, Richard
DiPietro, Meredith
Jordan, Sarah
Pyke, Jonathan

Degree Note

Thesis (D.Ed.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2011.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Salloum_uncc_0694D_10253

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:702