Стратегии повышения интерактивности детского обучения в виртуальной среде. Диссертация.

Enabling distant individuals to assemble in one virtual environment, synchronous distance learning appeals to researchers and practitioners alike because of its unique educational opportunities. One of the vital components of successful synchronous distance learning is interactivity. In virtual environments, interactivity is limited by the capacity of a technological medium to transmit verbal and non-verbal signals between individuals in the class. In order to increase the interactivity of learning, teachers need strategies to enable them to overcome the medium’s restrictions and reveal its interactive capabilities. 

This study explores which of the strategies used by teachers in arranging children’s synchronous learning in virtual environments may positively affect learning interactivity, and under what conditions those strategies are best utilised. Adhering to a qualitative approach, the study has  reflected on the instructional experiences of 48 teachers, from which 154 interaction-enhancing strategies have been identified. While most strategies were found to be universal in various types of environments, others proved effective only under specific learning conditions. 

Field experiment was conducted to examine the applicability of these strategies across cases with similar learning conditions. Some of the strategies were found to have effects on both synchronous and asynchronous components of learning. Often, these effects appeared to be implicit or deferred. Based on the data gathered, the study suggests a conceptual model of interaction in learning environments.