A Meta-Analysis of Three Types of Interaction Treatments in Distance Education

• Published in: Review of educational research Vol. 79; no. 3; pp. 1243 - 1289
• Main Authors: Bernard, Robert M., Abrami, Philip C., Borokhovski, Eugene, Wade, C. Anne, Tamim, Rana M., Surkes, Michael A., Bethel, Edward Clement
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington SAGE Publications 01.09.2009; American Educational Research Association
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Classroom communication; Comparative Analysis; Comparative literature; Computer Uses in Education; Distance Education; Distance learning; Education; Educational Environment; Educational Practices; Educational research; Educational Technology; Effect Size; Interaction; Meta Analysis; Online instruction; Online learning; Outcomes of Education; Pedagogy; Peer Relationship; Postal & delivery services; R&D; Research & development; Research methodology; Social interaction; Student interaction; Student Participation; Student School Relationship; Students; Systematic review; Teacher Student Relationship; Teachers; Technological change; Canada; Montreal Quebec Canada; Quebec Canada
• ISSN: 0034-6543; 1935-1046
• DOI: 10.3102/0034654309333844

This meta-analysis of the experimental literature of distance education (DE) compares different types of interaction treatments (ITs) with other DE instructional treatments. ITs are the instructional and/or media conditions designed into DE courses, which are intended to facilitate student-student (SS), studentteacher (ST), or student-content (SC) interactions. Seventy-four DE versus DE studies that contained at least one IT are included in the meta-analysis, which yield 74 achievement effects. The effect size valences are structured so that the IT or the stronger IT (i.e., in the case of two ITs) serve as the experimental condition and the other treatment, the control condition. Effects are categorized as SS, ST, or SC. After adjustment for methodological quality, the overall weighted average effect size for achievement is 0.38 and is heterogeneous. Overall, the results support the importance of the three types of ITs and strength of ITs is found to be associated with increasing achievement outcomes. A strong association is found between strength and achievement for asynchronous DE courses compared to courses containing mediated synchronous or face-to-face interaction. The results are interpreted in terms of increased cognitive engagement that is presumed to be promoted by strengthening ITs in DE courses.