Abstract:

Limited opportunities for teacher-student interaction in online lessons have been well discussed throughout the last three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We approached this issue by analyzing interactional situations in online university lectures. Qualitative material was gathered from observations and video recordings of three university teachers and their students in online classrooms. Interactions were investigated using qualitative interaction analysis. Online lectures were recorded and the content structure of the recordings was analyzed. The frequency, types, and sequential structure of the interactions were evaluated. As hypothesized, the one-sided character of the interactions was discovered. The results suggest that most of the interactions are initiated by the teachers while students often hesitate to continue in discussions. It seems important to look for new ways to engage students in an online environment, as teacher-student interaction is crucial for an effective learning process.

Keywords:

Interaction, online lesson, qualitative analysis.