Learner+to+Learner+Collaboration

Multiple studies identify the criticality of collaboration between learners within the virtual classroom ( Abrami, Bernard, Bures, Borokhovski, & Tamim, 2010; Boling, Hough, Krinisky, Saleem, and Stevens, 2011; Jackson, Jones, & Rodriguez, 2010; Ke & Xie, 2009; Pelz, 2010; Ruey, 2010; Shea, Fredericksen, & Pickett, 2006 ). Students show greater dissatisfaction with online learning as interactivity between learners decreases ( Al-Fahad, 2010; Lam & Bordia, 2008 ). Ferguson and DeFelice (2010) found that interactions between learners were significantly more related to learner satisfaction than was the amount of interaction between the learner and the instructor. Gunawardena, Linder-VanBerschot, LaPointe, and Rao (2010) found that higher levels of student satisfaction results in more participation and “greater learning gains” (p. 209), which is confirmed in Cabrera-Lozoya, Cerdan, Cano, Garcia-Sanchez, & Lujan (2012) who found that “collaboration among learners has a significant impact on learning outcome” ( p. 618; see also Allen, Crosky, McAlpine, Hoffman, & Munroe, 2009; Chen & Lien, 2011; Hurtado & Guerrero, 2009 ). Levine (2005) posited that the learner-learner relationship “forms a powerful foundation for the instruction” ( p. 21 ).

**Learner-learner interactivity**
Students working with other students tend to promote understanding of course content and stimulate higher-order thinking, while diminishing feelings of isolation and engendering a sense of community ( Palloff & Pratt, 2003 ). Many studies demonstrate that satisfaction with an online course increases as the level of interactivity between students increases ( Abrami et al., 2010; Bradley, 2009; Commonwealth of Learning, 2000; Lee, Redmond, & Dolan, 2008; Martinez-Caro, 2011; Omar, Kalulu, & Belmasrour, 2011; Pelz, 2010; Shea et al., 2006 ). Several authors have determined that interactivity between students is a primary factor in learner satisfaction with online courses ( Ferguson & DeFelice, 2010; Gunawardena et al., 2010 ) and significant regarding learning outcomes ( Allen et al., 2009; Cabrera-Lozoya et al., 2012; Chen & Lien, 2011; Hurtado & Guerrero, 2009 ).

**Learner-learner strategies**
When instructors include small group activities or team projects into courses, learner-learner interactivity increases, and if successful, will create essential positive group norms and dynamics ( Watkins, 2005 ). Palloff and Pratt (2003) suggested that online discussions foster not only student to instructor communication, but can increase the connection that a learner has with the learning community. Boling et al. (2011) found that positive, online learning experiences can be fostered through social exchanges such as “texting fellow students and completing real-world assignments that require [learners] to interact with others in their local communities” ( pp. 6-7 ). Learner-learner interactivity includes a student interacting with another student, the entire class, small groups or teams, or with a partner, and is not always just discussion ( Pelz, 2010 ). In each of these techniques the learner is able to collaborate with other students to increase his or her own knowledge, while assisting others in the acquisition of learning. The instructor is instrumental in encouraging and facilitating this collaboration between students. These strategies can backfire if they are forced or seem contrived; therefore, activities should be realistic representations of inherent activities that a student may perform in the real world.

//<span class="QuoteChar" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">[The contents of this page were excerpted from Watts (2012).] //


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 * = References ||
 * * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Abrami, P. C., Bernard, R. M., Bures, E. M., Borokhovski, E., & Tamim, R. (2010, July). //Interaction in distance education and online learning: Using evidence and theory to improve practice. The Evolution from Distance Education to Distributed Learning//. Symposium conducted at Memorial Union Biddle Hotel, Bloomington, IN.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Al-Fahad, F. N. (2010). The learners’ satisfaction toward online e-learning implemented in the college of applied studies and community service, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia: Can e-learning replace the conventional system of education? //Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE), 11//(2), 61-72. Retrieved from https://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Allen, B., Crosky, A., McAlpine, I., Hoffman, M., & Munroe, P. (2009). A blended approach to collaborative learning: Making large group teaching more student-centred. //The International Journal of Engineering Education, 25//(3), 569-576. Retrieved from http://www.ijee.ie/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Boling, E. C., Hough, M., Krinsky, H., Saleem, H., & Stevens, M. (2011). Cutting the distance in distance education: Perspectives on what promotes positive, online learning experiences. //Internet and Higher Education// [Advance online publication]. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.11.006
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Bradley, J. (2009). Promoting and supporting authentic online conversations – which comes first – the tools of instructional design? //International Journal of Pedagogies and learning, 5//(3), 20-31. Retrieved from http://jpl.e-contentmanagement.com/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Cabrera‐Lozoya, A., Cerdan, F., Cano, M.‐D., Garcia‐Sanchez, D., & Lujan, S. (2012). Unifying heterogeneous e‐learning modalities in a single platform: CADI, a case study. //Computers & Education, 58//(1), 617‐630. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.09.014
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Chen, L.-C., & Lien, Y.-H. (2011). Using author co-citation analysis to examine the intellectual structure of e-learning: A MIS perspective. //Scientometrics, 89//, 867-886. doi:10.1007/s11192-011-0458-y
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Commonwealth of Learning. (2000). //An introduction to open and distance learning//. Retrieved from http://www.col.org/PublicationDocuments/pub_ODLIntro.pdf
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Ferguson, J. M., & DeFelice, A. E. (2010). Length of online course and student satisfaction, perceived learning, and academic performance. //International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11//(2), 73-84. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Gunawardena, C. N., Linder-VanBerschot, J. A., LaPointe, D. K., & Rao, L. (2010). Predictors of learner satisfaction and transfer of learning in a corporate online education program. //The American Journal of Distance Education, 24//(1), 207-226. doi:10.1080/08923647.2010.522919
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Hurtado, C., & Guerrero, L. A. (2009). //A PDA-based collaborative tool for learning chemistry skills//. Proceedings of the 13th international conference on computer supported cooperative work in design. CSCWD’09, Santiago, Chile, 378-383. Retrieved from http://2009.cscwd.org/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Jackson, L. C., Jones, S. J., & Rodriguez, R. C. (2010). Faculty actions that result in student satisfaction in online courses. //Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 14//(4), 78-96. Retrieved from http://jaln.sloanconsortium.org/index.php/jaln
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Ke, F., & Xie, K. (2009). Toward deep learning for adult students in online courses. //Internet and Higher Education, 12//, 136-145. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2009.08.001
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lam, P., & Bordia, S. (2008). Factors affecting student choice of e-learning over traditional learning: Student and teacher perspectives. //The International Journal of Learning, 14//(12), 131-139. Retrieved from http://ijl.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.30/prod.1585
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lee, D., Redmond, J. A., & Dolan, D. (2008). Lessons from the e-learning experience in South Korea in traditional universities. In M. Iskander (Ed.), //Innovative techniques in instruction technology, e-learning, e-assessment, and education// (pp. 216-222). London, England: Springer Science+Business Media.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Levine, S. J. (2005). Creating a foundation for learning relationships. In S. J. Levine (Ed.), //Making distance education work: Understanding learning and learners at a distance// (pp. 17-24). Okemos, MI: LearnerAssociates.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Martinez‐Caro, E. (2011). Factors affecting effectiveness in e‐learning: An analysis in production management courses. //Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 19//(3), 572‐581. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cae.v19.3/issuetoc
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Omar, A., Kalulu, D., & Belmasrour, R. (2011). Enhanced instruction: The future of e-learning. //International Journal of Education Research, 6//(1), 21-37. Retrieved from http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-educational-research/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2003). //The virtual student: A profile and guide to working with online learners//. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Pelz, B. (2010). (My) three principles of effective online pedagogy. //Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 14//(1), 103-116. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/jaln_main
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Ruey, S. (2010). A case study of constructivist instructional strategies for adult online learning. //British Journal of Educational Technology, 41//(5), 706-720. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00965.x
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Shea, P., Fredericksen, E., & Pickett, A. (2006). Student satisfaction and perceived learning with on-line courses: Principles and examples from the SUNY learning network. //Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 4//(2), 2-31. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/jaln_main
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Watkins, R. (2005). //75 e-learning activities: Making online learning interactive//. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer/John Wiley & Sons.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Watts, S. W. (2012). //Learner Relationships//. Unpublished Manuscript, Department of Education, Northcentral Universtity, Prescott Valley, AZ. ||