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A STUDY OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS USED IN ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL COURSES

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Date Issued:
2008
Abstract/Description:
The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which selected communication tools used by teachers who teach online are positively perceived by their students in improving feelings of self-efficacy and motivation, and which tools may be perceived to be significantly more effective than the others. Students from the Florida Virtual School, a leader in online course delivery for grades 6-12, were surveyed to find their perceptions about how their teachers' use of email, Instant Messaging, chat, the telephone, discussion area, whiteboard, and assignment feedback affected their motivation and success in an online high school course. Correlations were done to discover if there were any significant relationships between variables that relate to teacher interaction and motivation. In addition, distributions of student responses to survey questions about digital communication tools and demographics were examined. It was found that there is a high degree of correlation between frequency of teachers' use of digital communication tools and student's perception of their level of motivation. It was also found that the digital communication tools most frequently used by teachers in communicating with their students were email, the telephone, and assignment feedback, and that the students found these same tools the most helpful in their learning. In addition, no significant demographic differences were found in students' perception of teacher's use of tools to enhance learning and motivation in their courses except in the number of previous online courses taken. These findings can help direct online high school teachers in their selection of digital tools used to communicate with their students.
Title: A STUDY OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS USED IN ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL COURSES.
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Name(s): Putney, Nathan, Author
Gunter, Glenda, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2008
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which selected communication tools used by teachers who teach online are positively perceived by their students in improving feelings of self-efficacy and motivation, and which tools may be perceived to be significantly more effective than the others. Students from the Florida Virtual School, a leader in online course delivery for grades 6-12, were surveyed to find their perceptions about how their teachers' use of email, Instant Messaging, chat, the telephone, discussion area, whiteboard, and assignment feedback affected their motivation and success in an online high school course. Correlations were done to discover if there were any significant relationships between variables that relate to teacher interaction and motivation. In addition, distributions of student responses to survey questions about digital communication tools and demographics were examined. It was found that there is a high degree of correlation between frequency of teachers' use of digital communication tools and student's perception of their level of motivation. It was also found that the digital communication tools most frequently used by teachers in communicating with their students were email, the telephone, and assignment feedback, and that the students found these same tools the most helpful in their learning. In addition, no significant demographic differences were found in students' perception of teacher's use of tools to enhance learning and motivation in their courses except in the number of previous online courses taken. These findings can help direct online high school teachers in their selection of digital tools used to communicate with their students.
Identifier: CFE0002333 (IID), ucf:47784 (fedora)
Note(s): 2008-08-01
Ed.D.
Education, Department of Educational Research Technology and Leadership
Doctorate
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): online
high school
education
motivation
curriculum and instruction
digital communication
electronic communication
computer mediated communication
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002333
Restrictions on Access: campus 2011-08-01
Host Institution: UCF

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