Blog #2

Bibliography 2

Rhode J. F. (2009).   Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments:  An Exploration of Learner Preferences [Electronic version].  International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 10, 1, 1-23.  Retrieved October 30, 2010, from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.libproxy.chapman.edu/hww/results/external_link_maincontentframe.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.43

This is a peer-reviewed article that is research based on the use of blogs by adult learners.

The article states that, students have to learn via student-teacher interaction, student-student interaction, and student-content interaction.  However, one of the interactions can be substituted for the other without limiting the educational experience (Rhoade 2009, 4).  Some students will not work with peers and instead prefer working directly with their instructor.  Others prefer interacting with their peers and the content itself.  Furthermore, many students prefer to be self-taught or self-paced by taking online courses.

The article suggests that students learn via engagement and interaction.  However, a specific learner may not value all types of interaction.  This article focuses on the interaction preferences of self-paced online learners.  Many of the participants of this study, used bogging, tagging of resources, e-portfolios, and discussions boards as a means of communicating with classmate.  During the study, the participants had to answer a survey that listed the various communication tools that they used.  The participants hand to answer which tools they actually used, and which tools were most effective to them.  The article found that many of its participants prefer to use blogs as a form of interaction.  These students were able to collaborate with other classmates and build networks of communication via the blogs.