Abstract:

The authors studied factors that impact relationships in both virtual and face-to-face teaching/learning settings. Their studies examined relationships of students with instructor, instructor with students, and students with students. Both graduate and undergraduate students participated in the studies. Relationships in the authors' studies were more specifically described as student-to-student interactions, student-to-instructor interactions, and instructor-to-student interactions.
Findings in the authors' initial study centered about attributes of interaction/relationships in on campus (face-to-face) teaching/learning setting. Respect, mentoring, friendship, networking were frequently mentioned in student narratives. These attributes support the Social Learning Theory formally presented by Bandura. In their study of interactions/relationships online (virtual) teaching/learning setting, the authors learned that the same attributes appeared in student narratives. Predominant, however, in the online setting was the addition of strong, common response from student online learners, that is, responsiveness. Students agreed that response rate was an important factor in interaction/relationships in an online setting. Immediancy of that response rate was deemed of value by all participants in the authors study of online teaching/learning settings. Response rate was not mentioned by a single student in the on campus study.
The authors in both of their studies found interactivity desired by students and instructor alike in teaching/learning settings. In online (virtual) setting, students preferred interaction with fellow students to interactions with the instructor. In online (virtual) setting, students preferred interaction to have immediancy, that is, a rapid response rate. Convincingly, interaction in both face-to-face and virtual teaching/learning settings is desired for effective learning. In the face-to-face setting interaction among students was deemed of special value, and in online teaching/learning settings, immediacy of respone rate was deemed of special value, albeit student or instructor.