Interaction

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Chapter 2: Interaction
Mason, Robin (1994). Using Communications Media in Open and Flexible Learning. Open and Distance Learning Series. Kogan Page Limited.
Keywords: Mason, interactions, interactivity
This chapter revolves around the concept of Interaction which Mason defines it in educational terms as a three dimensional feature:Student – content interaction; Teacher – student interaction and Student – student interaction.
Useful quotes:

Interactivity effectiveness

• “Much of what passes for interactivity should really be called feedback –to the organization or the teacher. It would be useful if the word interactivity were reserved for educational situations in which human responses –either vocal or written –referred to previous human responses.” (P25)
• "The obvious meaning – communication between two or more people (p25)
• Robin citing Bates (interactivity as a criterion for media selection in distance education p16) “Most theories of learning suggest that for learning to be effective it needs to be active; in other words the learner must respond in some way to the learning material. It is not enough merely to observe or read; learners have to do something with the learning material. Thus They may need to demonstrate (if only to themselves) that they have understood or they may need to reprocess new material to incorporate it with exiting knowledge or to apply the new knowledge they have acquire successfully to new situations” (p26)

Interactivity on demand

• “Open University students, asked why they liked computer conferencing so much when they hadn’t used it interactively, said they felt much less isolated knowing they could use it if they needed …” (p28)
• “One of the issues currently debated (in social presence) amongst designers of interactive software for collaborative work is how to create a sense of social presence” (p33).

Quality of interactivity

• “…the quality of interaction, whether it reinforces factual transmission of information, or develops critical thinking and team working skills…” (p35) depending on the course design and the teachers ideology.

Interactivity and video

• “Although videoconferencing tends to be used in situations which replicate face-to-face lecturing – not a teaching method known for deep-level human interactivity let alone collaborative work.” (P30)

• “Computer-based training and interactive video are frequently referred to as interactive: students can stop and start when they choose, can go at their own pace, are offered choices which may lead in different directions; sometimes they can choose different routes through the material.” (P25)

Alberto Ramirez Martinell