The relationship of perceptions of interaction and learning style to learner satisfaction in distance education.
Date
1996
Authors
Stuart, Iain Joseph
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Abstract
This study consists of two components. The first is a replication of Fulford and Zhang's (1993) Perceptions of interaction: The Critical Predictor in Distance Education study. In that study student perceptions of overall interaction were found to be the critical predictor of learner satisfaction. The present study was undertaken in the context of a real-time, full-motion, two-way, interactive television delivery of a Child and Youth Care course using fiber optic technology to link classrooms at the University of Victoria and the University College of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada.
The effect reported by Fulford and Zhang (1993) is not observed in the present study, and difficulties with obtaining adequate numbers of subject responses, similar to those experienced by Fulford and Zhang, were encountered. Changes were made to the statistical analysis methods to better fit with the data that was collected. The analysis indicated that in spite of high levels of perceived interaction, some learners had lower scores for satisfaction.
The second part of the study investigates what relationship Learning-Style, as measured by the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (1984), has to learner satisfaction. The distributions of learning-style types show that the majority of learners in Child and Youth Care programs are likely to be Divergers who appear to have the highest satisfaction levels with an interactive television course delivery. The Accomodators are the second most common learning style type while Assimilators were the third. The Converger learning style was consistently the least represented learning style type. Chi square tests were performed to determine if the observed distributions of learning-style types deviated significantly from the expected distribution. The results were mixed, with some cohorts showing statistically significant deviation while others appeared to be consistent with what was expected.
The results obtained in the study, while not producing results consistent with those obtained in the original Fulford and Zhang (1993) study, are suggestive. Further research is indicated to explore what factors might help explain the differences in learner satisfaction and perceptions of interaction noted.